Jaden Bowman Missing Teen Identified As Teen Killed In Police Chase In Ashley
According to authorities, the body of missing 14-year-old Jaden Bowman has been recognized as the teen who was slain in a police chase in Ashley on April 19.
Just after 11 p.m. on Wednesday, April 19, according to the Ashley-Hudson Police Department, officers saw a suspicious car in the 100 block of S Harrison Ave. Officers claim that as they drew closer to the car, it fled while breaking many traffic laws.
The motorist allegedly fled as they attempted to stop him on Wabash Avenue, leading police on a pursuit east on 800 S. They claim that the chase reached 90 mph before turning around and heading back west on 800 S into Hamilton.
Police claim that after passing through the intersection of Old 27 they veered off-road, hit a tree, and the automobile caught fire. They claim that the “extreme heat” prevented rescuers from reaching the driver. The car had recently been stolen, according to police.
The Steuben County Coroner’s Office was subsequently given the death investigation, and on May 3 they utilized DNA to identify the body. The coroner has identified the deceased as 14-year-old Jaden Bowman, who was reported missing by his parents earlier that evening, according to Waterloo Town Marshal Jay Oberholtzer.
When Bowman’s mother was contacted by 21Alive on April 27, she revealed that she had been looking for her son every day since the evening of April 19. She reported to us that evening that he was acting “a little funny” and that morning she didn’t find him in bed.
She claims that she assumed he had already left for the school bus stop. She didn’t suspect anything was amiss until later in the day, when the school contacted to say he hadn’t arrived. She claimed that after that, she reported him missing at the police station.
The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office was asked to investigate the pursuit officer’s activities, according to Ashley police, to “determine if there were any violations of policy or state law.” According to them, the investigation is still ongoing.
The Steuben and Dekalb County Sheriff’s Offices, the Hamilton Police Department, and the Angola City Police all provided assistance to the officers.
