Man arrested after ATV ride through courthouse lawn

CELINA - A man deputies say was ripping through the courthouse lawn doing "doughnuts" on a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle was arrested early Wednesday after abandoning his vehicle.

Scott H. Spears, 20, was charged with criminal mischief, driving under suspension and riding an unlicensed vehicle on the roadway, all misdemeanors, Celina police reported.

Just after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, deputies stationed at the Mercer County Courthouse for the election spotted a man doing doing doughnuts on the courthouse lawn. Later, about 12:30 a.m., Celina police received a call of a four-wheel vehicle driving in an area near North Main Street.

Police responded but the driver was able to lose the officers following a short chase out of town. Spears was found a short time later by Mercer County deputies who responded to assist Celina Police in looking for the driver.

Spears was walking down the roadway about three miles southwest of Celina. A police dog was called in and tracked Spears' trail, which led to a ditch where officers found an abandoned four-wheel vehicle that belonged to Spears, said Detective Ron Waltmire of the Celina Police Department.

Spears faces misdemeanor charges. He could face additional charges if more reports are filed that increases the damage amount, Waltmire said.

Police said Spears was hiding the four-wheeler to conceal it in hopes of going undetected. They believe he planned to retrieve it at a later time, Waltmire said. All-terrain vehicles are not permitted on the streets.