Newark man who told police to be 'quicker' wasn't fast enough to avoid arrest
NEWARK, Ohio (WCMH) – After being taunted by a convicted felon evading capture, police in Newark finally got the last laugh after a six-week search for him.
A warrant went out for Newark 20-year-old Tanner Rhinehart's arrest after he didn't show up for his April sentencing hearing for a probation violation. Rhinehart had been on the run since then, but the Newark Division of Police announced Wednesday that it had found and arrested Rhinehart.
When Newark police previously put out a Facebook post asking for help finding Rhinehart, the 20-year-old took the opportunity to tease them. He referenced an apparent close call he had earlier as they looked for him.
"Y'all almost had (me) the other day you gotta be quicker than that (sic)," Rhinehart wrote.
Rhinehart did, however, try to negotiate with the officers searching for him further down in the comments of that post.
"What willll (sic) I get if I turn my self in," Rhinehart wrote. "They give me a good enough deal I might turn my self in."
The Newark Division of Police's original post, where Tanner Rhinehart replied. (Courtesy Graphic/Newark Division of Police) 
Tanner Rhinehart tells the Newark Division of Police to be quicker looking for him. (Courtesy Graphic/Newark Division of Police) 
Tanner Rhinehart asks what he'll get if he turns himself in. Other Facebook users reacted. (Courtesy Graphic/Newark Division of Police)
Rhinehart’s probation violation stemmed from a charge of failing to comply with an officer on February 26, 2023. He originally had received the one-year probation sentence from a November 2021 case where he was convicted of receiving stolen property, according to the Licking County Municipal Court Clerk’s Office.
Rhinehart was arrested, then bailed out over the failure to comply charge. In court, he admitted to the probation violation, records showed. After he didn’t show up for sentencing on April 13, the judge then issued a bench warrant for his arrest the next day with a $10,000 cash surety bond attached.
Eight days after mocking the officers looking for him on social media, Rhinehart was in custody. Newark police confirmed his capture on the same Facebook page he taunted them on. This time, they tagged his Facebook profile as well.
“Mr. Rhinehart thought jumping in the river would evade capture; However, he was wrong and was taken into custody without further incident," the Newark Division of Police wrote.