Vehicle stolen in Greenwood; man arrested

A man was arrested after police said he tried to steal a car at a Greenwood gas station, even after the owner jumped into the car.

Jacob Wessel, 30, 3430 Westenedge Drive, Columbus, was arrested on charges of auto theft and robbery.

Shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday, a woman pulled into a gas station on Main Street in Greenwood and left the car running when she went inside. That’s when Wessel got into the car, according to the report.

When the woman walked out of the gas station and noticed Wessel in her car, she ran to her vehicle and jumped in as Wessel began to drive away, according to the report.

Wessel told the woman she needed to get out of the car or he would kill her, according to the report. The woman was not injured.

Police found Wessel at another gas station on Main Street, near Sheek Road. Wessel told police someone was out to kill him and that he saw the person in the parking lot of the gas station, so he tried to take the woman’s car to get away, according to the report.

Wessel was arrested and taken to the Johnson County jail, where he is being held on $9,000 bond.