Vehicle thefts end in chase, kidnap charge
Staff writer
A former Durham man is being held without bond in Saline County Jail after stealing a car from Durham, then a pickup from Hillsboro, picking up two young women in Hutchinson, driving to Salina, and leading Salina police on a chase at up to 100 mph to Minneapolis.
Ryan A. Hardey, 25, listed as homeless, in the Saline County jail, has previously been jailed five times in Marion County.
In previous jailings here, he was listed as living in Durham, Great Bend, and Hillsboro.
“Our involvement is the pickup truck stolen from Kevin Bernhardt,” Hillsboro Police Chief Jessey Hiebert said.
Bernhardt, who lives just south of Main Street Ministries, notified police at 2:10 a.m. Friday that his pickup had been stolen from his driveway and was being driven north on Main St.
A Ford Focus stolen from Durham was found a half a block away from Bernhardt’s home. A business security camera showed it had been left at 1:57 a.m. The security camera showed the driver of the Focus walking down the street toward Bernhardt’s property three minutes later.
Assistant Police Chief Randy Brazil said he entered the tag number of the stolen pickup into a national crime database.
An automated camera in Salina registered the tag number at the intersection of Crawford St. and Centennial Rd., just east of the Crawford St. exit on I-135, at 4:30 a.m.
An officer spotted the pickup and tried to pull it over in the downtown area of Salina, Salina Police Captain James Feldman said, but Hardey refused to pull over.
A chase toward Minneapolis took place, with Ottawa County deputies joining in.
At Minneapolis, Hardey pulled the pickup over. He and three other occupants fled on foot into a row of trees, where they were quickly captured.
The three were Lucas Bowlen, 21, Hays, and two girls —15 and 18, Hardey had picked up in Hutchinson.
Bowlen also was jailed on a probation violation.
Hardey is being held on suspicion of probation violation, aggravated endangering a child, engaging in a reckless situation involving a child younger than 18, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving, kidnapping, and possession of stolen property.
Feldman said the kidnapping charge was because the two teens in the car had asked Hardey to stop and let them out of the car after the pursuit began, but he refused.
Since 2017, Hardey has been charged in seven felony and two misdemeanor cases in Barton, Ellis, Marion, and Saline Counties.
He pleaded no contest Sept. 18, 2023, in Saline County to domestic battery and interference with law enforcement. He was sentenced to a year’s probation.
He pleaded no contest Feb. 14, 2020, in Ellis County to fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement and was sentenced to a year’s community corrections. A motion was filed July 11, 2024, to revoke his community correction in that case. A warrant is outstanding.
A charge of battery filed June 19, 2019, in Barton County later was dismissed.
He pleaded no contest Sept. 10, 2019, to theft in Marion County to theft and was sentenced Oct. 2, 2019, to a year’s probation.
He pleaded no contest Sept. 10, 2019, in Marion County to possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced Oct. 7, 2019, to 18 months’ drug treatment.
He pleaded no contest Aug. 20, 2018, in Marion County to theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced Nov. 5, 2018, to a year’s probation.
He pleaded no contest Nov. 5, 2018, in Marion County to theft of a motor vehicle. He was sentenced to probation.
His probation was revoked in three cases Aug. 17, 2020, and he was ordered to serve two years in prison.
He pleaded no contest Jan. 12, 2018, to fleeing law enforcement, possession of stolen property, and contributing to a child’s misconduct. His probation in that case was revoked June 26, 2020. He was ordered to serve six months in prison.