A stolen Jeep. A cornfield chase. A school district closed.
*Schoolcraft Community Schools* shut its doors Monday after a stolen red Jeep Wrangler crashed near campus and two suspects fled into a nearby cornfield, prompting a multi-agency manhunt that lasted hours.
The incident began just after 3 p.m. Sunday, September 28, when Kalamazoo County dispatchers received reports of a red Jeep driving erratically southbound on Oakland Drive in Schoolcraft Township.
Witnesses said the vehicle ran off the road and hit a tree near the intersection of Oakland Drive and West VW Avenue. The Jeep did not stop. It drove another block to South 16th Street and West VW Avenue, where it finally broke down.
The flight into the field
According to the Village of Schoolcraft Police Department, a male driver and a female passenger exited the vehicle and ran away on foot. They briefly returned to the Jeep to retrieve what appeared to be a firearm case before disappearing into a nearby cornfield.
"Witnesses reported a male driver and female passenger fled on foot, briefly returned to the vehicle to retrieve what appeared to be a firearm case, then ran into a nearby cornfield," deputies said.
The Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office deployed K-9 teams and drones. The Portage Department of Public Safety, Vicksburg Police, South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority, and Great Lakes Drone Services joined the search. Deputies told nearby residents to shelter in place.
The search was called off around 6:20 p.m. without locating either suspect. Deputies recovered a case they initially feared was for a gun. It turned out to be a guitar case. They also found items from a duffle bag.
Two arrested and charged
Hours later, deputies located and arrested the driver. Erick R. Kibler, 35, was booked at the Kalamazoo County Jail. He faced outstanding warrants for methamphetamine possession, plus new felony charges of receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle and two counts of resisting and obstructing officers, according to the sheriff's office.
Miranda Paige Hagaman, 32, the passenger, was also arrested. She was charged with two counts of resisting and obstructing.
The Jeep had been reported stolen out of the city of Portage.
Schools close out of caution
The intersection where the suspects fled sits near Schoolcraft's elementary, middle, and high schools. Superintendent Dr. Nate Ledlow sent an email to families Sunday evening announcing that all schools and on-campus activities would be canceled Monday.
"Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our students and staff," Ledlow wrote. "Our administrative team will use this time to review and strengthen security measures, ensuring we have the proper protections in place for a safe return to school on Tuesday."
Ledlow later updated families on Facebook that both suspects had been arrested and classes would resume Tuesday.
"There truly is no playbook for us to turn to when situations like this arise, and your grace and support make all the difference for our staff and students," Ledlow wrote.
A pattern in the neighborhood
This was not the first public safety incident to disrupt Schoolcraft schools recently. On the night of Wednesday, September 3, Dakota Hall, 27, stabbed his father during an argument at a home on West VW Avenue between South 14th Street and Oakland Drive. Hall fled and was not seen for hours. Schoolcraft schools entered a precautionary lock-up. Authorities found Hall in a ditch on East Lyon Street around 9:11 a.m. and took him into custody.
Hall remains lodged in the Kalamazoo County Jail.
Anyone with information about the stolen Jeep incident is asked to call the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office at 269-383-8748 or Silent Observer at 269-343-2100.