Helping a relative get out of jail often comes with the hope that their circumstances will improve. According to authorities in Iowa, one family member instead found themselves almost immediately on the receiving end of another alleged crime, as the teenage relative they helped release is now accused of stealing their Chevrolet Corvette. One day after posting bond, he was headed back to jail following what authorities describe as a pursuit that exceeded 140 miles per hour.
The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says Braiden Billings, 18, of Newton, Iowa had been placed in jail on an assault charge before a family member posted his bond on October 11. The very next day, at around 5:00 p.m., that same family member reported their 2007 Chevy Corvette as stolen. Just under three hours later, police spotted the sports car traveling west on I-80 near mile marker 150 — about 15 minutes from where the car was before the alleged theft. A deputy tried to stop the car shortly thereafter, but the situation quickly escalated into what police say was a 140-mph pursuit. That chase ultimately ended not when police caught the Corvette, but when the driver allegedly ditched it in a bean field northwest of Altoona.
The teen behind the wheel wasn’t alone: authorities say 18-year-old Natalee Ryan of Newton was also in the car and also went to jail. Billings is now facing a slew of charges, including felony eluding, three counts of failure to obey a stop sign, theft in the first degree of a motor vehicle, theft in the first degree against an older individual, and failure to obey a steady red light.
Ryan, despite reportedly being only a passenger, is also facing a charge of theft in the first degree against an older individual. She is being held on a $25,000 bond, while Billings faces a $41,151.52 bond — making it unlikely that the same family member will be stepping in to post bail a second time.
