Stolen jewelry, electronics found in car involved in deadly police chase

Stolen items were found in the car 17-year-old Christian Redwine was driving when he allegedly led Columbus police on a chase on Nov. 6 that ended with him being fatally shot in Phenix City by an officer, according to court testimony Wednesday.

Hunter Tillis and Hannah Wuenschel, both 19, were identified as the passengers in the stolen Pontiac G-6, where authorities said they found property reported stolen from two cars parked at the Midtown Medical Center on Center Street and the Country Inn & Suites on Fountain Court.

Columbus Police Detective Robert Nicholas said the items taken during the break-ins included a bag of jewelry, purse, two tablets and a name tag.

Officials said the purse and jewelry were found in the floor board of the front passenger seat where Wuenschel was seated and the name tag was found in Redwine’s pocket. One of the tablets was in the backseat with Tillis and the other was in the pocket behind the driver’s seat, according to Nicholas’ testimony.

Nicholas said the car burglaries occurred on the evening on Nov. 5, hours after Redwine allegedly drove away from his Cherokee Avenue home in his grandfather’s Pontiac without permission.

Fred Levins, the car owner, reported it stolen when he woke up around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 6 and noticed that it was missing along with his car keys. He suspected that his grandson left with the car along with Tillis, Redwine’s cousin, and Wuenschel.

Police said they spotted a suspicious vehicle around businesses at the intersection of Milgen and Reese roads. The vehicle was headed in and around several closed businesses.

Officers maintained surveillance and notified the Columbus 911 Center. The center informed officers that the vehicle had just been stolen.

Attempts made by the officers to stop the vehicle using blue lights and sirens were ignored by the driver who then attempted to flee, according to a news release from authorities.

Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren said Phenix City police joined the car chase when it continued into Phenix City, where the driver turned onto Riverchase Drive off Highway 80 at which time the driver lost control of the vehicle.

Boren said Redwine exited at Riverchase Drive, the last Alabama exit before the state line. The Pontiac went off the road at Riverchase Drive.

Columbus Police Officer 1st Class Allan Brown, who had seen the car exit on Riverchase, got out of his vehicle and encountered the three suspects, according to a report. He fired an unknown number of shots from his weapon, police said.

Russell County District Attorney Kenneth Davis said the officer had reason to believe that Redwine was using the vehicle as a weapon.

Attorney Mike Garner, who represents Wuenschel in the case, said Redwine was only putting the vehicle into reverse to get out of a hole.

Garner said Redwine was shot seven times, his client two or three times and Tillis at least twice. Officials confirmed that Brown shot the suspects but has yet to confirm how many times.

Tillis and Wuenschel were transported to Midtown Medical Center in Columbus to be treated for gunshot wounds. Records indicate Tillis sustained a gunshot wound to the mouth and Wuenschel had at least one gunshot wound to the arm.

Tillis and Wuenschel were treated at the hospital, taken into police custody and theft by taking motor vehicle. He was released from the jail when Wuenschel pleaded not guilty to the charge Nov. 10 in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

She was released from jail following the hearing, but they were both arrested again on the new charges. Wuenschel posted bond before the second hearing.

Tillis, who was represented by attorney Stacey Jackson, pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to two counts of second-degree burglary. He was ordered held in the Muscogee County Jail without bond.

The burglary charges were bound over to Superior Court.

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 4:13 PM with the headline "Stolen jewelry, electronics found in car involved in deadly police chase."