Guns, drugs found after vehicle chase in Berks, police say

Steven Henshaw, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·2 min read

Apr. 8—A Reading man led Mohnton police on a vehicle chase that ended up in Shillington, where he crashed into another vehicle and was later captured following a foot chase through backyards, police said.

Police said they recovered a 9 mm handgun loaded with 17 rounds along with a plastic bag containing 63 oxycodone pills on the floor in front of the driver's seat, next to his identification card, following the chase that began about 5:15 p.m. Friday.

The driver, identified by police as Rehean R. Kelley, 26, of the 1100 block of Douglass Street is prohibited from having a firearm due to a felony conviction.

Police said they found a second handgun, which turned out to have been reported stolen to Central Berks Regional police, in one of the Shillington backyards where Kelley and his passenger had been while fleeing police.

Kelley was charged with carrying a firearm without a license, drug offenses, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, reckless endangerment and hit-and-run.

He was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $30,000 bail to await a hearing following arraignment Saturday before District Judge Priscilla Campos in Reading Central Court.

Mohnton police gave this account:

Officer Thomas Focht was conducting speed enforcement in the 400 block of East Wyomissing Avenue about 5:15 p.m. when he clocked a car traveling east at 47 mph in a 35 mph zone. Focht pulled out to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver of the car accelerated, continuing at a high speed eastbound on East Wyomissing into Cumru Township, then Shillington.

Focht continued to pursue Kelley with his emergency lights and siren activated. As Kelley's car turned left onto Lancaster Avenue, it collided with another vehicle.

Kelley and two passengers jumped out of the car and fled to West Walnut Street off Museum Road without stopping to check on the well-being of the people in the other vehicle.

It was unclear if anyone was hurt in the crash.

The trio ran through rear yards on Walnut followed by several officers on foot.

Kelley and one of his passengers, a 33-year-old man, were spotted in a yard in the 300 block of West Walnut Street. They were captured after jumping some fences. The other passenger wasn't caught.

Information about the captured passenger's status was unavailable.