County police arrested a Seymour man after he fled on a stolen motorcycle after a traffic stop early Tuesday, police report.
Steven Lewis Waggoner, 30, faces a preliminary Level 5 felony of auto theft after an incident in Seymour. He also faces a preliminary Class A misdemeanor of resisting law enforcement and Class C misdemeanor of never receiving a license.
The incident that led to Waggoner’s arrest started when Officer Jordan Hawn conducted a traffic stop at 5:47 a.m. Tuesday in the 1500 block of Morningside Drive in Seymour.
Hawn discovered that the motorcycle Waggoner was operating was reported stolen in Bartholomew County on Sunday, according to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
Waggoner left the motorcycle shortly after he stopped and fled on foot past several homes on Morningside Drive.
Police requested help from Seymour Cpl. Adam Surface and K-9 Officer Ace, who found a jacket police thought belonged to Waggoner, police said.
That led officers to a residence nearby where Waggoner was found in the backyard at the corner of Lakeview Drive and Manor Drive.
Assisting at the scene was Sheriff Rick Meyer, Detective Ben Rudolph, Officer J.L. McElfresh, Seymour Sgt. Mike Cooper and Seymour officers Bart Bevers, James Handley, Chris McCoy and Tim Toborg.
Waggoner was booked into the Jackson County Jail in Brownstown at 7:41 a.m. without bond pending his initial hearing.
A Level 5 felony is punishable between one and six years upon conviction. The advisory sentence is three years.