Dayton, OH – A man wanted in connection with a series of thefts across Montgomery County was taken into custody Friday morning after a SWAT standoff in Brookville, authorities confirmed.
According to Butler Township Police, the case began in the early hours of Friday, December 19, 2025, when officers were alerted to a stolen truck and enclosed trailer from a local hotel lot. Detectives tracked the missing items using GPS and license plate reader data, locating the truck in Trotwood later that morning. However, the trailer and roughly $100,000 in contents were still missing.
Investigators identified Rodney M. Smith, a known automobile thief with prior incidents involving Dayton Police, as the primary suspect. Detectives developed probable cause for a search warrant over the weekend, coordinating with the Montgomery County R.A.N.G.E. Task Force, Regional SWAT Team, and Butler Township officers for Smith’s arrest at a property on Wolf Creek Pike in Brookville.
Police say Smith initially refused to exit the residence, leading to a brief standoff before SWAT officers safely took him into custody.
Authorities later recovered the stolen trailer and most of the missing property. Smith now faces multiple charges, including receiving stolen property, drug possession, and obstructing official business.
Police noted that Smith was already on active felony probation and had previously fled from law enforcement. Additional charges are pending review by the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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