NORTH VERNON, Ind. – The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a vehicle that fled the scene of a property damage accident in North Vernon on Friday at around 8:30 a.m. As deputies responded, a call reporting a car crash in Geneva Township came in.
The caller said that the individual involved had exited the vehicle and escaped on foot through the nearby woods. The car then became engulfed in flames.
Sheriff Freeman and Chief Deputy Low located the male suspect a short distance away and apprehended him without resistance. He was identified as Jesus Antonio-Ruiz Gonzalez, 23, of North Vernon.
Upon questioning, it was determined that Gonzalez was allegedly heavily intoxicated and did not possess a valid driver’s license. Further investigation confirmed that the vehicle involved in the second accident was the same one that had fled the earlier hit-and-run crash scene.
Following his arrest, Gonzalez was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Once medically cleared, he was taken to the Jennings County Jail, where he is now held on a $905 bond.