A Marion County man found himself in trouble after leading deputies on a chase, giving fake names twice, and ending the night in the jaws of a police K-9.
It all started Sunday, June 8, when a K9 deputy spotted a silver Dodge pickup cruising NE 175th Street without the driver wearing a seatbelt. The driver, later identified as Austin James Rese, decided to swap a traffic ticket for a felony and hit the gas.
Deputies say Rese ignored lights and sirens, whipped through a neighborhood, bailed from the truck, and took off on foot—right into the path of K9 Koen, who quickly put an end to the sprint.
Bleeding from bites and scratches, Rese was taken to the hospital, where he tried identifying himself first as Austin Mangus, then James Mangus. But deputies weren’t buying it. A quick records check revealed his real name and that he’s an active, non-compliant sex offender out of Pennsylvania.
To make matters worse, the pickup truck he was driving wasn’t his. The owner told deputies Rese wasn’t allowed behind the wheel since he doesn’t have a license—adding grand theft auto to the list of charges.
Rese now faces charges including fleeing and eluding, burglary, grand theft of a motor vehicle, giving false ID, and resisting without violence. He was booked into the Marion County Jail with no bond requested.
Looks like honesty really was the best policy.
