Deputies ID man, woman that hid in sewer pipe during manhunt

DAYTON — The man and woman arrested after hiding in a sewer pipe during a chase Tuesday have been identified.

James Donnelly, 42, and Bethany Allen, 25, were arrested near the Stillwater River after running from deputies Tuesday.

Bethany Allen and James Donnelly (Montgomery County Jail)

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Around 11 a.m., Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to make a traffic stop in the area E. Siebenthaler Ave. and Deweese Pkwy. It was then that two people, Donnelly and Allen, ran from the car they were in and started a foot chase with deputies, according to Sheriff Rob Streck.

“By the time we got officers and deputies here, it was determined that they probably had entered the sewer pipes in this area,” Streck said.

During the chase, Streck said the Donnelly and Allen entered and crossed the Stillwater River during the chase before getting into a sewer pipe.

At least one of them was armed and made statements about not wanting to go back to prison.

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Since it wasn’t deemed safe to send anyone or a K9 into the drain after the suspects, robots that the Water Department were sent into the pipes to help apprehending the two.

Both Donnelly and Allen were wanted on felony warrants. They were booked in the Montgomery County Jail on their outstanding warrants. Charges from Tuesday’s incident are pending, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said.

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