Two Arrested After Marion Shooting Linked to Failed Drug‑Deal Robbery
Updated (3 articles)
Evening Gunfire Triggers High‑Speed Chase in Marion Police received multiple shots at 6:20 p.m. on February 24 in the 500 block of Clinton Street, Marion, Ohio, and officers found bullet evidence on the road while a vehicle fled at high speed [1]. Dispatchers logged the incident and units responded within minutes, confirming roughly six people exchanged fire and four firearms were recovered [1]. The chaotic scene prompted an immediate pursuit by local law enforcement [1].
Pursuit Ends in Crash, Suspects Apprehended The chase concluded when the fleeing car crashed on Campbell Road, forcing the occupants to abandon the vehicle [1]. A police K‑9 unit quickly captured one suspect, while another was seized after a brief foot chase [1]. Both arrests occurred on the same night, preventing further danger to the public [1].
Third Occupant Injured During Initial Exchange 20‑year‑old male remained inside the crashed vehicle with a gunshot wound sustained during the earlier gunfight on Clinton Street [1]. Emergency responders transported the victim to a Columbus hospital for treatment [1]. This injury was the only reported casualty among the participants, aside from the suspect arrests [1].
Robbery Motive Tied to Drug‑Deal Confrontation Investigators determined the vehicle’s occupants traveled to Marion intending to rob another party during a drug transaction [1]. The attempted robbery escalated into a large‑scale gunfight involving both groups [1]. Authorities linked the violent confrontation directly to the failed drug‑deal robbery plan [1].
Arrests Include 19‑Year‑Old and 17‑Year‑Old Police arrested 19‑year‑old Trevon Scales of Mount Gilead and a 17‑year‑old Marion resident, charging both with aggravated robbery [1]. A 20‑year‑old victim was taken to a Columbus hospital for treatment [1]. Officials indicated additional participants may face charges as the investigation continues [1].
Timeline
Dec 29, 2025 – John Andrew Garcia, a 33‑year‑old Marion County man who failed to register as a sex offender, is pursued by Hocking County deputies after a 911 tip; he flees onto Purdum Road, drives his car into a creek, runs on foot and fires a handgun at deputies, who return fire and wound him before transporting him to Grant Medical Center, while the deputies remain unharmed; Garcia faces two counts of attempted aggravated murder of a law‑enforcement officer and a weapons‑while‑under‑disability charge, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation launches a probe [3].
Jan 20, 2026 – Officers answer a 911 call reporting a sexual assault in progress at the Ashville Country Estates mobile home park; they locate 22‑year‑old Chase Dalton standing outside a mobile home with a gun, repeatedly order him to drop the weapon for roughly ten minutes, and when he raises the gun, officers fire several shots, wounding him; Dalton is taken to a Columbus hospital and later pronounced dead, a juvenile present receives non‑life‑threatening treatment for a prior injury, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation begins a state investigation [2].
Feb 2, 2026 – The Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office publicly releases the body‑cam video of the Ashville shooting, showing officers’ commands and the fatal gunfire, in an effort to provide transparency while the ongoing state investigation proceeds [2].
Feb 24, 2026 – At about 6:20 p.m. on Clinton Street in Marion, roughly six people exchange fire in a large gunfight involving four firearms; a vehicle flees, prompting a high‑speed chase that ends with a crash on Campbell Road, where two suspects are captured (one by a police K‑9) and a third occupant remains inside the wreck with a gunshot wound; investigators tie the confrontation to a botched robbery during a drug‑deal transaction, and police arrest 19‑year‑old Trevon Scales and a 17‑year‑old on aggravated robbery charges, while indicating that additional participants will likely face charges [1].
Feb 2026 onward – Authorities announce that further charges are expected for other participants in the Marion shooting as the investigation continues [1].