MANSFIELD — A 33-year-old Perrysville man was convicted Thursday for the attempted murder of an Ontario police officer in 2024.
Jareth Vance will be sentenced Aug. 28 after being found guilty on 42 felony counts, according to a social media post from the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office.
The case against Vance stemmed from a series of events in Richland and Crawford counties on Feb. 11, 2024, that led to a four-hand standoff with law enforcement officers.
His conviction came after a two-week jury trial in Richland County Common Pleas Court.
According to Prosecutor Jodie Schumacher, Vance set fire to the Crawford County home of his ex-girlfriend, with her dogs locked inside. He then went to a residence in Ontario where his ex-girlfriend was having a Super Bowl party.
“Vance entered the residence, uninvited and unannounced, held everyone, including children, in the residence against their will at gunpoint, before shooting and wounding an Ontario officer (Dylan Bailey), along with another victim,” the prosecutor’s office said on Facebook after the jury’s verdict was announced.
Vance then barricaded himself inside the residence for four hours before finally surrendering, the prosecutor’s office said.
Ontario Police Department Chief Tom Hill hailed the jury’s verdict in his own social media post.
“Today, I watched justice being served. A jury found a ruthless, cowardly predator guilty on all 40 charges stemming from the events of February 11, 2024 — the day he shot two people, including our own Officer Dylan Bailey, several times, and held several others hostage after kidnapping them,” he said.
“That verdict was the result of an entire community coming together — law enforcement, prosecutors, medical teams, and the brave men and women who sat on that jury. Together, we made sure this vile menace to society will never again have the chance to harm the innocent,” the chief said.
“I will never forget that day. I will never forget the sound of the call coming in, the fear in the voices of those trapped, or the courage of the officers who ran toward danger. Officer Bailey will carry his injuries for the rest of his life. The other victim is still recovering from wounds that should never have been inflicted. The people who were kidnapped lived through moments of unimaginable fear. And the families of everyone involved continue to bear a heavy burden,” Hill said.
“I am deeply grateful to the victims and witnesses who stood strong, the medical professionals who saved lives, and the prosecutors who built this case with tireless dedication. Most of all, I am proud of the men and women of the Ontario Police Department and our fellow first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to protect others. Their courage is the reason lives were saved that day,” the chief said.
“This conviction is not the end. Healing will take time — perhaps a lifetime — for those who were touched by this violence. But it is a critical step forward. We will continue to stand with victims, defend the innocent, and protect our community from those who seek to bring it harm,” Hill said.
Vance was indicted on attempted aggravated murder (4 counts), attempted murder (4 counts), aggravated burglary (1 count), felonious assault (7 counts), kidnapping (11 counts), aggravated arson (1 count), menacing by stalking (6 counts), inducing panic (1 count), disrupting public service (1 count), possessing criminal tools (1 count), aggravated menacing (1 count), attempted cruelty to animals (2 counts) and theft (2 counts), according to the prosecutor’s office.
Richland County Common Pleas Court Judge Phil Naumoff presided over the trial and will sentence Vance in two weeks.