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April 2009
Driver killed in accident was suspect in Henning homicide
DAYTON - Homicide detective Sgt. Gary White confirmed Thursday, April 30, that the driver involved in a fatal single-car accident on Saturday, April 25, was a suspect in the January shooting death of Robert W. Henning IV.
Henning, 24, was found shot to death in an alley near Indianola Avenue on Jan. 15. Dayton police said he was shot by two people during an apparent robbery.
White said there is evidence that Ebony McGuire, 25, might be one of the shooters and that people who knew details of Henning’s death have come forward since McGuire died in the accident on Saturday.
Two siblings, Alisha Alston, 22, and her brother, Willie Alston, were also in the car and died at the scene.
McGuire was traveling about 60 mph in a 35 mph-zone along North Main Street about 2 a.m. when she tried to turn onto Great Miami Boulevard, police said. The car struck a utility pole and was sheared nearly in half, police said.
White said detectives will meet with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office to see if McGuire will face charges related to Henning’s death. Police continue to look for the other shooter in the Henning homicide.
You can check the status of all homicides in the Miami Valley this year and those that occurred in 2008 by clicking here.
TweetStudent says girls threatened her with handgun in purse
DAYTON — Police and Life Skills Center of Dayton officials are investigating a report that a female student was threatened with a handgun by classmates at the downtown RTA hub on Wednesday, April 29.
All students involved are being held out of school until the situation is resolved, said school administrator James Brown.
Dayton police were called to the school, located at 1721 N. Main St., at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday on the report that a student had been threatened, according to a police report. The complainant said the incident began near 11 a.m. when an umbrella she was holding brushed a classmate at the RTA hub, the report said.
The classmate and a group of her friends became angry and verbally fought with her both at the hub and later at the school, Brown said. The complainant told police that at some point during the incident (but not in the school) one of the girls opened a yellow purse so the complainant could see a handgun, the report said.
The complainant told officers that another girl said to her, “We do not fight, we pop people,” the report said.
Police were not able to find a handgun on any of the girls involved, the report said. No one was arrested.
“We’ve talked to all the girls involved, and we haven’t been able to confirm some of that information,” Brown said. “We had an emergency removal until we get all of the facts.”
TweetRoutine warrant becomes 60-plant drug bust
JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County — When officials from a strike team serving a probation violation warrant arrived at 1725 Hopewell Ave., the car was there, the television was on and the dog was barking. There was, however, no answer to the knocks.
The group, the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (SOFAST), then kicked in the door to find Dontay D. Alston, 25, with a child in his arms. It would find more, including approximately 60 marijuana plants, other drugs and drug paraphernalia that turned the warrant-serving operation into a drug find on Wednesday, April 29.
Alston, 34, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail at 9:14 a.m. following the arrest.
SOFAST officials also found $2,000 in cash along with the plants that ranged in height from two feet to four feet, said Montgomery County Sheriff’s Maj. Scott Landis.
“This was not a home-use operation,” Landis said. “This was a medium-sized to larger operation.”
Alston’s bedroom was filled with the plants and florescent lighting and set at the necessary temperature to grow the drugs, Landis said. While 60-some plants is a good-sized find, Landis said a larger operation generally includes between 300 and 400 plants.
The marijuana in Alston’s home would likely be worth approximately $60,000 on the street, Landis said.
TweetWoman who ran from police found sleeping in attic
DAYTON — A woman who had run from police the previous afternoon was arrested early Wednesday, April 29, after officers found her sleeping on attic stairs.
Virnett A. Smith, 42, was found at 44 S. Philadelphia St. at 1:30 a.m. after first eluding police at about 5 p.m. Tuesday. She was arrested on charges of possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia and two warrants for probation violation, according to a police report.
Officers were called to East Fourth Street on a burglary complaint Tuesday afternoon. They followed a truck believed to contain a suspect, and the truck stopped in front of the South Philadelphia Street address. The driver, later identified as Smith, ran into the house, locked the door and fled out a rear door, the report said.
Early Wednesday morning, officers received a tip that Smith was back at the South Philadelphia Street house. They entered and encountered a locked door that led to an attic, where they found Smith sleeping at the top of a set of stairs, the report said.
Officers also discovered a metal crack pipe in Smith’s purse, and the pipe tested positive for a cocaine-based substance, the report said.
TweetHouse bill proposed in response to slaying of mother
DAYTON - Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer is expected to testify on Wednesday, April 29, on a proposed state law that would strike a car owner’s home address from their vehicle registration.
The proposed legislation comes after the shooting death of Jenny Nelson, who was killed in her Harrison Twp. home in January.
Plummer said Nelson was targeted by Charlie Myers, who drove nearly an hour from Columbus to rob the home.
Myers tied up Nelson, assaulted her 4-year-old son and was stabbed in the back after Nelson broke free, Plummer said. Myers grabbed a gun he brought and shot Nelson, Plummer said.
He then kidnapped the boy and dropped him off at a rest stop along Interstate 70 in Madison County.
Investigators said Myers got Nelson’s address from their car he stole while she and her husband attended a concert in Columbus.
Myers has admitted to the robbery and being in the Nelson home at the time of her death. He is in jail and awaiting trial on murder charges.
House Bill 50 is sponsored by Rep. John Domenick (D-Smithfield), who cited Nelson’s killing in his proposal.
Plummer is testifying at a third hearing of the bill. He said he is in favor of the legislation.
TweetDayton firefighters advance to Combat competition in Las Vegas
Here at the DAC blog we don’t like to write about bad stuff all the time. This doesn’t have a crime element in it, but involves peace officers who serve this community:
DAYTON - Five members of the Dayton Fire Department and IAFF Local 136 members have advanced to the World Combat Challenge in Las Vegas.
Firefighters Mike Overman, Matt Sherrill, Nick Judge, A.J. Bacon and Bill Gaub competed as a relay team in the regional competition in Milford recently. They are headed to Las Vegas for the World Challenge in November.
The Combat Challenge is a race that consists of tasks typically performed by firefighters at the scene of a fire, Local 136 spokesman Brad French said.
Participants drag hose lines, climb stairs dragging a 175-pound dummy and swing large hand tools all while wearing full firefighter gear and racing the clock.
TweetDriver in fatal crash was suspect in recent homicide
DAYTON - The driver killed in a single-car fatal crash Saturday, April 25, was a suspect in a recent homicide, Dayton police detectives said Tuesday.
Ebony McGuire, 25, and two other people were in a car traveling 60 mph in a 35 mph zone along North Main Street when police said McGuire lost control and slammed into a utility pole at 2:18 a.m. Saturday.
Two siblings, Alisha Alston, 22, and Alston’s brother, Willie Alston died at the scene.
Homicide detectives confirmed McGuire was a suspect in a January homicide, but would not say which killing.
Sgt. Gary White said detectives got a break in the homicide case when witnesses or those with knowledge of the killing came forward after McGuire’s death.
You can look at all homicides in January by clicking here.
Police said McGuire lost control of her car while turning onto Great Miami Boulevard from North Main Street and struck the pole sidewise, shearing the vehicle in half.
Police Lt. Larry Faulkner said Monday that it’s too early to say whether alcohol was involved, but police are investigating whether the three were at a local club prior to the wreck. Blood tests could take weeks or months to be completed, he added.
No one was chasing the vehicle when it crashed, contrary to rumors, Faulkner said.
Autopsies were under way Monday.
TweetOfficers open attic door to find bundles of money, crack
DAYTON - Three men using a vacant house to store drugs were arrested Friday, April 24, after officers said they found $9,100 and more than 450 grams of crack and cocaine inside.
Javoughn K. Rutledge, 20, Alex J. Napier, 19, and Deyon L. Porter, 19, were arrested at 330 Middle Ave. at about 5 p.m. after residents in the area reported suspicious activity at the vacant house, according to a police report.
Officers arrived, looked in windows of the home and saw what appeared to be crack in the kitchen, the report stated.
Officers could hear men inside, but no one answered the door or responded to commands to come out of the home, the report stated.
The K-9 unit was called and Rutledge and Porter came to the door when officers warned they were about to release the dog. Officers found Napier hiding in a closet.
Napier kept looking up at the attic door in the ceiling of the home so officers decided to take a look, the report stated.
Bundles of cash wrapped in rubber bands fell to the ground when the officer pulled down the door, the report stated. There was also crack and cocaine in the attic.
Officers also found five guns inside the home, the report stated.
Rutledge and Porter face a slew of felony charges, including possession and trafficking of drugs, illegal possession of a firearm and carrying concealed weapons charges.
Napier was later released from jail.
TweetMan with loaded gun puts officer in headlock
DAYTON - A Dayton police officer is recovering from injuries he sustained after being put in a headlock and dragged to the ground Monday, April 27, by a man with a loaded gun in his pants.
Officer Gregory Mills was patrolling the Santa Clara neighborhood Monday morning about 9 a.m. when he saw Marrico S. Murray drinking beer outside on Santa Clara Avenue, according to a police report.
Mills said in his report he was in the neighborhood to help quell recent robberies and drug activity in the area.
When Mills exited his cruiser, Murray, 30, poured the beer out and at first cooperated with the officer when he was asked to stand for a pat down, the report stated.
As Mills was patting him down, Murray kept trying to reach in his front pants pocket, the report stated. Mills felt the pocket and realized there was a handgun in his pocket, the report stated.
As he was trying to secure the gun, Murray pushed off of Mills and tried to flee, the report stated. Mills fell to the ground as did Murray, who then got on top of Mills and put the officer in a headlock, the report stated.
Mills called for a “99,” meaning officer in danger, over the radio and then Tasered Murray twice before Murray stopped struggling, the report stated.
The gun in Murray’s pocket was a .22 caliber with nine rounds and one loaded in the chamber, the report stated.
Mills sustained minor cuts and bruises from the struggle.
Murray was transported to jail and booked on felony charges of assault of a police officer, having weapons while under disability and carrying a concealed weapon. He also faces misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
A background check found Murray has been arrested several times and has numerous drug possession, driving under suspension and illegal possession of a firearm convictions.
TweetDetectives search for gunman who killed man at prayer vigil
DAYTON - Homicide detectives are still trying to identify the gunman who shot and killed 21-year-old Isaac Gibson on Saturday, April 25, as he attended a memorial for a friend who was recently killed.
Gibson and about 100 others gathered to memorialize Thomas Tom-Tom Watson, 25, who was shot and killed on April 16 while playing basketball at College Hill Park on Shaftesbury Road.
Gibson was shot in broad daylight at the cookout. Though there were many people at Saturday’s cookout, Lt. Brian Johns said there were only one or two witnesses who came forward.
“We are going to get to the bottom of this,” Lt. Patrick Welsh said Monday, April 27.
Police Chief Richard Biehl said Watson’s death was likely gang related, but police have yet to confirm if Gibson’s death was tied to gang activity.
Gibson’s family said he and Watson were relatives and good friends. It is unclear what sparked the shooting, police said.
Gibson is the city’s 13th homicide victim this year. You can check out the status of the other 12 homicides and check those from 2008 by clicking here.
Anyone with information is urged to call 333-COPS.
TweetLieutenant’s good memory leads to arrest of robber
DAYTON - Over at the “cop shop” Lt. John Huber’s memory of stolen cars has become somewhat legendary. He often uses his lunch break as an opportunity to keep up his hobby of reeling in stolen vehicles.
Huber, a savvy veteran and now head of the Dayton Police Department’s Internal Affairs, was doing just that on Friday, April 24, when he noticed a blue Pontiac Grand Prix reported stolen the day before.
The car belonged to a pregnant woman from Hamilton who told officers she drove a friend from Cincinnati to score some drugs in the 3500 block of Stafford Place, according to a police report.
Huber called for backup about 1 p.m. Friday and when officers arrived, Rashied J. Gabriel Jr., 18, was behind the wheel, according to a police report.
There were three other people inside the stolen car, including two women in the back seat, the report stated.
Fleeing from Huber and another officer, all four people inside the car bailed out leaving the car doors open and the vehicle rolling down the street, the report stated.
Gabriel was tracked down after a brief foot chase and had to be pepper sprayed before officers were able to arrest him, the report stated.
Gabriel was wearing and had in the car some of the same clothing he wore when the robbery took place on Thursday, police said.
He is in jail on a charge of felony robbery and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
TweetMan’s death outside local bar ruled homicide
DAYTON - The hit-and-run incident outside Katie’s Place that claimed the life a Hispanic man has been ruled a homicide, Miami Valley Crime Lab director Ken Betz said.
Rodrido Resendiz, 27, suffered multiple blunt force trauma to all areas of his body, including severe injuries to his head and neck, according to a Montgomery County Coroner autopsy.
Resendiz and two other people, another male and female, were critically injured after being hit by another Hispanic male in a 2000 Ford Expedition at about 1 a.m. Friday, April 24, according to police.
A fourth person was hit, but was treated for minor injuries. The other two critically injured victims are recovering, investigators said.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, about 5’6” with a slim build, said Lt. Brian Johns. He has black hair with grey on the sides.
Homicide detectives still haven’t confirmed if the hit-and-run was related to a disturbance that occurred inside the bar, 2264 E. Fifth St.
Resendiz is the city’s 12th homicide victim this year. You can check on the status of the other 11, plus all homicides in 2008 by clicking here.
TweetPolice arrest one of three shooters involved in recent homicide
DAYTON - Police have arrested a man they said is involved in the shooting that killed Thomas Watson on April 16 as he played basketball at College Hill Park.
Chamare Mays, 20, was charged by the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office with felonious assault after he turned himself in to police on Tuesday, April 21.
Police said Mays is one of three gunman who rushed the basketball court on Shaftesbury Road about 5 p.m. and fired shots at a group of men playing basketball. Mays isn’t the gunman who killed Watson, but detectives said he shot one man in the leg.
Detectives are still looking for Watson’s killer. Watson, 25 and the father of two children, died from a gunshot wound to the head, investigators said.
Witnesses said two of the gunman were wearing masks and one was armed with an AK-47. Police have not specified what gun Mays allegedly used.
Police Chief Richard Biehl said Watson’s homicide appeared to be gang-related and gang-unit detectives were called to help find the shooters.
The man Mays allegedly shot never turned up at a hospital as detectives had hoped.
A background check found Mays has been arrested numerous times in the past on charges that included drug possession and child endangering.
TweetOVI checkpoint scheduled tonight in Trotwood
TROTWOOD - Police and other local law-enforcement agencies have scheduled an OVI checkpoint tonight, April 24, on S.R. 49 in Trotwood.
The checkpoint will operate from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, April 25, Trotwood Capt. John Porter said.
TweetLaw enforcement plans crackdown of I-75, I-675 speeders
Law enforcement agencies in southern Montgomery County said they plan to ramp up patrols of Interstate 75 and Interstate 675 to catch aggressive drivers and speeding motorists.
Speed limits on those interstates are 65 mph for most vehicles.
Miami Twp. police and the Dayton post of the Ohio Highway Patrol will be leading the effort starting Monday, April 27, Miami Twp. Major John DiPietro said.
Miami Twp. police said a majority of accidents in the southern part of the county occur on I-75.
DiPietro said his officers will also focus on State Routes 741 and 725.
Here are the top 10 accident-prone areas in Miami Twp. and southern Montgomery County, according to police: I-75; I-675; S. R. 741; S. R. 725; Alex-Bell Road; Lyons Road; Lamme Road; Miamisburg-Springboro Road; Dayton-Cincinnati Pike, and Byers Road.
TweetPolice: Pregnant woman looking for drugs carjacked at gunpoint
DAYTON - Police are looking for two men who carjacked a pregnant woman and two other occupants who came from out of town Thursday looking to score drugs, according to a police report.
The 19-year-old woman said she was in the 3500 block of Stafford Place about 7 p.m. when two men got into her 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix for what was supposed to be a drug deal, the report stated.
The female driver, who is sixth months pregnant and from Hamilton, said she was driving a 17-year-old teenager from Cincinnati so he could buy drugs, the report stated.
She said the 17-year-old “likely” knew the two robbers. The three victims, all teenagers, fled to a nearby house, and the homeowner called police, the report stated.
The 17-year-old teen from Cincinnati who allegedly knew the robbers slipped out a back door of the house before police arrived and could not be interviewed, the report stated.
No one was seriously harmed during the incident.
Lead homicide detective Sgt. Gary White has issued many warnings to the public that anyone coming from out of town to buy drugs in Dayton is putting their life in serious jeopardy.
Police urge anyone with information to call 333-COPS.
TweetPolice looking for driver in hit-skip homicide
By Angela Watson Gay and Lucas Sullivan Staff Writers
DAYTON - Investigators are still trying to determine the identity of the man killed outside a local bar in what police are calling a hit-and-skip homicide.
Homicide detectives are talking to witnesses and looking for the male driver of a White Ford Explorer or Excursion that hit four people outside Katie’s Place, 2264 E. Fifth St., at 1 a.m. Friday, April 24.
One man died at the scene, two other people were critically injured and another received minor injuries after being hit by the SUV, police said. The driver of the SUV, which sped off with a flat tire, is described as a heavyset man.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed on the male victim late Friday morning, Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab director Ken Betz said.
The critically injured victims, a male and a female, are still at Miami Valley Hospital, according to police.
Sgt. Mark Ponichtera said the hit-and-run accident stemmed from a fight inside the bar that spilled outside.
Clarissa Davis and her son, Robert Bechtolt IV, were inside their residence when they heard a loud noise they thought was a plane. They ran outside after hearing a scream and saw the victims.
Davis covered the female with a blanket because she said wasn’t wearing much clothing. “She was screaming for her boyfriend,” said Davis, who called the victim’s boyfriend from her own cell phone.
Davis has lived in the neighborhood for about four months and said she’s had no issues with the bar. “This was the last thing I wanted to see.”
TweetSheriff to start charging registered sex offenders
DAYTON - Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said Thursday, April 23, that his office will soon start charging sex offenders when they register in the county.
Plummer said tier I and tier II sex offenders will be charged $25 a year and tier 3, the most serious offenders, will be charge $100 because they must register four times a year.
There are more than 1,500 registered sex offenders in the county, with more than 500 being tier III, Plummer said.
“They created their problem and this shouldn’t be an expense left to the taxpayer,” he said.
Plummer’s office spends $85,000 a year in postage and registry cards sent to convicted sex offenders. He said there are four employees dedicated to keeping track of registered sex offenders and maintaining the registry Web site, costing his office another $300,000 in salary and benefits.
“It’s an enormous amount of money when you look at all the factors,” Plummer said.
A state law passed in January 2008 allows sheriffs to charge fees to offenders. An offender can be charged for the initial registration, for registering a new residence address, and for verification of a current residence address.
Plummer said he has talking with Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck since the beginning of the year to work out language for the fee program.
His announcement comes on the same day Butler County announced sex offenders there will be charged. Hamilton and Warren counties have been charging fees for about a year.
TweetDrive-thru owner again rebuilding after break-in
Bill Harrel was back at Farmer’s Drive Thru on Thursday, April 23, talking about his business’ bumpy year as the cash register beep-beep-beeped in the background again serving customers.
“It’s the fourth time since the fall,” said Harrel, owner of the business at 1608 Valley St., following a burglary Wednesday that cost him a reported $1,003 worth of merchandise.
At 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, someone apparently cut a fence at the next-door One Source property, stole a Bobcat mini tractor and drove it into the Farmer’s Drive Thru building. The suspect or suspects then stole 30 cartons of cigarettes, 30 miniature bottles of alcohol and an unknown number of lighters and Black and Mild cigar packages, according to a police report.
Harrel said he didn’t sleep Wednesday until he again opened the store, at times even serving customers from the street.
“I’ve been here nine years, and this is the 14th time,” Harrel said.
According to police records, Farmer’s Drive Thru also suffered 2008 break-ins on Aug. 29, Sept. 7 and Sept. 24. The August attempt appears to have been cut short, as nothing was taken, according to a police report.
On Sept. 7, a burglar alarm brought Harrel and officers to the business at 12:34 a.m. While searching the building, they found Ronald L. Woodward, 29, and James A. Woodward, 32, hiding in an ice chest. James Woodward suffered an ankle injury while jumping from the ceiling during the break-in, according to a police report. Both were arrested on charges of breaking and entering and possession of criminal tools for the 14-inch straight screwdriver found with them in the ice.
James Woodward was convicted of both charges in October and sentenced to eight months of confinement. Ronald Woodward was convicted only of breaking and entering and sentenced to five years of community control in November.
Then, on Sept. 24, a suspect or suspects broke a front door lock to enter the business at 1 a.m. and stole 180 packs of Basic and Marlboro cigarettes, according to a police report.
Things were quiet until Wednesday. Harrel said he has no plans to move, but the frustration is mounting.
“It’s sad that people have to break in and steal from people who are trying to work hard,” Harrel said. “It’s just too bad.”
TweetCraigslist buy leads to hold-up
DAYTON — Police are searching for a man who allegedly robbed a Centerville teenager at gunpoint while the teen thought he was buying a video gaming system through the classifieds Web site Craigslist.
The complainant called police at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, to report that he had been robbed of $200 in cash and two cell phones, according to a police report. The complainant and his father, who accompanied him to the supposed purchase, told police the complainant responded to a posting on Craigslist advertising the sale of a PlayStation 2 gaming system, the report said.
The complainant contacted the poster, who instructed him to go to the Family Dollar store at the corner of North Main Street and Helena Street in Dayton. When they arrived, the complainant and his father again called the poster, who said his brother, whom he called “Dee,” would meet them, the report said.
The man called Dee arrived, got into the vehicle with the complainant and his father and guided them to a nearby alley, where the complainant suspected the poster lived, the report said.
Dee then pointed a handgun toward the complainant and demanded his belongings, the report said. The complainant’s father then struggled with Dee for the gun, and Dee fled, the report said.
TweetAfter agreeing to sex, woman tells cop she needs drugs
DAYTON — A Dayton woman ordered by a court to undergo drug treatment in early March was arrested for soliciting and asking the undercover officer to drive her to buy heroin.
Natasha M. Ratliff, 21, was arrested at 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, on charges of loitering to solicit prostitution, soliciting prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a police report.
The incident began when an undercover detective monitoring prostitution picked Ratliff up on East Fifth Street, and he and Ratliff agreed on sexual activity in exchange for $40, the report said.
“Ratliff at that time stated, ‘I need to get my drugs first,’ ” the report said.
Ratliff told the detective she uses crack but wanted to try heroin, the report said. Police then arrested Ratliff and found a crack pipe in a tobacco pouch she carried, the report said.
Ratliff was convicted of resisting arrest on March 6 and ordered to complete alcohol and drug treatment, according to court records.
TweetCell phone photos aid in drug arrest
DAYTON — A Dayton man arrested for selling drugs on Tuesday, April 21, had pictures of himself on his cell phone packaging the drugs and claimed the money exchanged was actually for a lawn mowing debt.
Carlton Harris, 19, was arrested on charges of possessing criminal tools and trafficking in drugs at 1210 Everett Drive following the incident at 9:20 p.m., according to a police report. Undercover Dayton police detectives set up a drug purchase through cell phone conversations with a phone later found on Harris, the report said.
Harris met the detectives’ car at the address and sold them six capsules of narcotics for $80, the report said.
After Harris’ arrest, officers recovered the cell phone they called to set up the deal and another that contained a photo of Harris apparently separating drugs over a plate with a razor blade and placing it into capsules, the report said.
During an interview with officers, still not knowing that undercover officers had been in the car to which he sold the drugs, Harris said the money exchanged was meant to settle a debt for lawns he mowed, the report said.
TweetPolice organize benefit for fellow officer
DAYTON - Police are holding a hair “Cut-a-thon” to raise money for the family of former Detective Phil Olinger who recently passed away after a brief battle with cancer.
The event will be held at The Cutting Edge Tanning & Hair Salon, 694 W. National Road, Vandalia, from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 26.
Hair cuts will be $10 and all the proceeds will go to the benefit fund for Olinger’s family.
TweetDetectives look for second victim in deadly park shooting
DAYTON - Miami Valley Crime Stoppers is asking for the public’s help to generate possible suspects in the shooting death of Thomas Watson.
Detectives are also looking for a second victim of the shooting, someone who was either shot or was hit with shrapnel or bullet fragments, police said.
Watson, 25, was gunned down about 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, while playing basketball at College Hill Park, 1660 Shaftesbury Road, by three suspects, two of them wearing masks, Chief Richard Biehl said.
Detectives said they also know some of Watson’s family members were in the area at the time of the shooting, and they want those individuals to come forward to help with the investigation.
Watson’s death was the second gang-related shooting in three weeks in broad daylight near innocent bystanders. Christopher Hinton was gunned down on April 1 inside a Cricket Wireless store by two men in the 3600 block of North Main St.
Watson was the 11th homicide victim in the city this year. You can check for the most recent information on the other 10 and also those from 2008 by clicking here.
Anyone that has information about these homicides should call Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 222-STOP or toll free at (800) 637-5735. Tips are taken 24 hours a day, and callers can remain anonymous.
You can also submit tips on the Web at www.miamivalleycrimestoppers.com or via text message by texting “tip400” followed by your message to “crimes” (274637).
TweetMan arrested on charges related to 2006 homicide of mother
DAYTON - Homicide detectives have arrested a 54-year-old man on charges of murder and felonious assault related to the 2006 homicide of a 38-year-old mother.
Harold Barker was indicted by a Montgomery County grand jury and arrested on Friday at 3:35 p.m. by officers in the 2200 block of Wayne Avenue, according to police and jail records.
Homicide detectives believe Barker is responsible for the death of Shelly Sue Turner who has been missing since 2006, according to police. Her body has yet to be found, but Lt. Patrick Welsh said Monday investigators are “confident” she is deceased.
Welsh said there is enough evidence to show “probable cause” that Barker was involved in Turner’s death, but would not elaborate. Barker is not cooperating with detectives, but Welsh said he hopes Barker will tell police through his attorney where Turner’s body is so her family can have closure.
Turner was last seen outside Shags Tavern, 1926 Smithville Road, in September of 2006. She is the mother of a young toddler, according to police. Barker was her boyfriend at the time and was with her at Shags Tavern, according to police.
Turner’s personal belongings were found at her home, including her Ford Explorer, police said.
Barker told police a silver car pulled up outside the bar and someone yelled Turner’s name, according to a police report. Barker said Turner walked over to the car, handed Barker his ring and left with a guy named “Bill,” the report stated.
Barker cooperated with police after Turner’s family reported her missing, according to a police report. He went to police headquarters and gave a photo of Turner, according to police.
Barker also faces a felony tampering with evidence charge. He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m.
Barker is the first person in the county to be indicted for murder without the presence of a victim’s body since 1985, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office.
Welsh said dogged investigating by Det. Shirley Rockwell, along with homicide Det. Dan Hall led to the indictment and arrest of Barker.
TweetMan changes story, arrested for attacking Hispanic family
DAYTON - Police arrested a 25-year-old man on charges he intimidated a Hispanic family and burglarized their home based on their ethnicity.
Mark A. Larick is in Montgomery County Jail on felony aggravated burglary and ethnic intimidation charges after officers said he changed his story about what happened at the home in the 100 block of Bircher Avenue, according to police report.
Officers responded to the area about 2 a.m. on Monday, April 20, after one of the people inside the home said Larick was making threats and broke into the residence, the report stated.
Those inside the home said two men, including Larick and Christopher Richards, came back after words were exchanged between the groups minutes earlier, the report stated.
A victim said Larick and Richards used bats or pipes to break into the home while small children slept on couches, the report stated.
Witnesses heard Larick utter racial slurs and threaten the victims, the report stated. Family members said Larick and another man walked into the living room and said, “they were going to shoot us all illegal Mexican wetbacks,” the report stated.
Larick and Richards also pointed to “Nazi” tattoos they had on their body, witnesses told police.
That’s when officers arrived and quickly squashed the situation, the report stated. Officers found a PVC pipe and several broken windows on the first floor of the home, the report stated.
Larick told officers one of the people inside the home had insulted his girlfriend, but changed his story when police told him his girlfriend was not on the scene at the time of the incident, the report stated.
Officers said Larick was intoxicated.
They determined that Larick and a few men inside the house did have an altercation before Larick and Richards came back to the house a second time, the report stated.
Richards was not arrested and it is unclear if he will face charges.
TweetBasketball court shooting victim had been shot before
DAYTON - Homicide detectives are still looking for at least three gunman who shot and killed Thomas A. Watson as he played basketball with friends and relatives Thursday, April 16, at College Hill Park.
The three men were wearing masks and ran from the corner of Harvard Boulevard and Shaftesbury Road, witnesses said. One of the gunman was wearing a striped shirt, another a baseball cap, witnesses said.
Watson died about 5 p.m. on the basketball court, according to police.
It was the second time in two years Watson had been shot, according to police reports. He was inside Foundry Night Club, 26 Wyandot St., in October 2006 when shots were fired inside the club, according to a report.
Watson was shot in the stomach and treated at Miami Valley Hospital, the report stated. The gunfire was sparked by a large fight inside the club, the report stated.
Another man was shot inside the club and also survived.
TweetFBI statistics on bank robberies alarming
The Federal Bureau of Investigations released national bank robbery statistics for the last quarter of 2008 and there was one alarming stat:
Of the nearly $15.4 million taken from banks during October and December, only about $1.7 million was recovered, according to the FBI.
So it appears if robbers can get out of the bank with cash, which has been a problem for some, the chance of police recovering the cash is pretty low.
There were a total of 1,645 bank robberies across the country in the last quarter of 2008, according to the FBI. Money was taken in 93 percent of those robberies.
The day of the week most robberies occurred: Wednesday (430) followed by Tuesday (408). The day of the week a bank robbery was least likely to occur: Monday (excluding Sunday).
TweetCops arrest man wearing T-shirt that pokes fun at police
DAYTON - They say in order to enjoy your work you have to be able to laugh sometimes, no matter how serious your job.
Neal Allen Bowen gave Dayton police and Montgomery County Jail workers a little chuckle on Tuesday, April 14, after he was pulled over in the 4100 block of Hoover Avenue.
Bowen, 27, was wearing a T-shirt that read, “It’s all fun & games until the cops show up,” at the time of his arrest.
Bowen, 27, was arrested for outstanding warrants involving speeding and driving under suspension, according to jail records. Those charges are serious and not a laughing matter.
It was no accident that most jail mug shots are taken from the neck up, but jail workers made sure we could all be in on the joke.
TweetFatal accident reported in Huber Heights
HUBER HEIGHTS - Police are on the scene of a fatal accident Tuesday, April 14, involving two cars at the intersection of Brandt Pike and Executive Drive.
All lanes of Brandt Pike have been shut down as of 4:30 p.m., according to Huber Heights police. At least one person is confirmed dead, Sgt. Charles Taylor said.
It is unclear what caused the accident or if there are any other injuries, Taylor said.
Update: 1 dead, 3 injured in fatal wreck in Huber Heights
TweetCrime Stoppers want help in Hinton homicide
DAYTON - Miami Valley Crime Stoppers need your help in arresting three men who police suspect in the shooting death of Christopher Hinton on April 1 inside a cell phone store.
Hinton was fatally shot at the Cricket Wireless store at 3604 N. Main St. at 6:34 p.m. At least two gunman followed Hinton into the store and fired multiple shots at him, according to police.
Hinton died less than an hour later at Good Samaritan Hospital from wounds to the arm, leg and chest, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s office.
Now police say three suspects have been identified including Steven Mayberry Jr. who is in Montgomery County Jail on witness intimidation charges. Mayberry, 18, turned himself in to police last week at the urging of a pastor and friends, but refuses to speak with Dayton homicide detectives.
Crime Stoppers need your help in gathering information on these suspects and to urge any witnesses to come forward with information regarding this case.
If you have any information about Hinton’s death please call Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 222-STOP, or toll-free at (800) 637-5735. Tips can be phoned in 24 hours a day and tipsters can remain anonymous.
In addition to the hotline tips can also be submitted online at by going to www.miamivalleycrimestoppers.com. To submit a tip using your cell phone, text “tip400” followed by your message to “crimes” (274637).
You can also check on homicides in the Dayton area for the last two years by clicking here.
TweetPolice arrest two men after bizarre robbery, kidnapping
DAYTON - Officers arrested two men who they believe beat a male victim during a robbery and then later abducted him off the street Monday, April 13.
Deron D. Morgan, 20, and Nicholas DC Best, 32, are both in Montgomery County Jail on felony assault and abduction charges, according to jail records.
Police were called to an apartment in the 2500 block of Revere Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. on a robbery complaint, according to police.
A 23-year-old woman told officers that two men wearing black hooded sweatshirts knocked on her door and were let in, the report stated. One of the men then brandished a handgun and told everyone to get on the ground, the report stated.
The robbers somehow knew the woman kept money wrapped in an American flag and took the money, the report stated. The woman told police she had $1,500 in cash wrapped in the flag inside her apartment, the report stated.
The robbers then beat one of the occupants and took a cell phone and $20 off one of at least three people inside the apartment, according to police.
One of the victims left the scene before police arrived because he had a warrant for his arrest, according to police. Morgan and Best spotted that man walking near Revere and threw him into a car, according to police.
Police said they believe Morgan and Best are the same men who robbed the apartment, but they have yet to be charged in the robbery. Detectives said they are continuing the investigation and believe they have a motive for the robbery.
Morgan and Best are expected to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. today, April 14.
TweetPregnant woman ruffles feathers at Church’s Chicken
DAYTON - Police are looking for a Columbus woman who vandalized a local Church’s Chicken restaurant Monday, April 13, after a drive-through worker asked her if she completed her order.
The pregnant woman started cursing at the employee and pulled around to the drive-through window and said, “… I’ll tell you when that’s all,” according to a police report.
The irate woman, described to be in her early 20s, then parked the car, walked in the store at 2443 N. Gettysburg Ave. and demanded her food, the report stated.
When the manager told her to leave about 8 p.m., the woman punched a glass partition separating employees from customers, shattering the glass, the report stated.
The woman then took off in a white Chevy Malibu. Employees wrote down the Malibu’s license plate and officers were able to trace the owner’s address to 2151 Argyle Drive in Columbus, the report stated.
Officers called the phone number listed at the address, but got no answer. A call seeking comment Tuesday went unanswered.
It is unclear what prompted the woman to go off on employees. If found, the woman faces vandalism and disorderly conduct charges, according to police.
TweetMan robs party-supply store at gunpoint
DAYTON - Detectives are searching for the man who robbed Belmont Party Supply at gunpoint Friday, April 10.
Officers responded to 2621 S. Smithville Road at 6:33 a.m. after the clerk hit a burglar alarm in the store, according to police.
The clerk told police a man came in with a small black gun and said, “Give me your money,” according to a police report. The clerk gave the gunman an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect fled, the report stated.
Officers searched the immediate area but found no suspects.
The robber is described as a white male, between 17 and 21 years of age and between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10 inches tall, the report stated. He was wearing a dark-brown hooded jacket, gray sweatpants and possibly black shoes, the report stated.
Anyone with information is urged to call 333-COPS.
TweetPolice investigating burglary at Club Masque
DAYTON - Police are looking for three suspects who broke into Club Masque early Monday morning, April 13, and emptied money out of an ATM inside the bar.
Surveillance video captured three men wearing hoods and masks prying a back door to the club, located at 34 N. Jefferson St., and entering the building at about 5:30 a.m., Det. Cayce Cantrell said.
The men took an undisclosed amount of money from the ATM, Cantrell said.
Anyone with information is urged to call 333-COPS.
TweetJuvenile pulls fire alarm, escapes from detention center
DAYTON - Police are looking for a a 15-year-old girl who escaped from a detention center after pulling the fire alarm Sunday night, April 12.
The juvenile, described as black, 5-feet, 2 inches and 180 pounds, went missing from Eastway Behavioral Health Center, 4950 Northcutt Place, about 10 p.m., according to a police report.
The fire alarm automatically unlocks all doors of the facility when pulled, the report stated.
She was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. Authorities believe the juvenile fled to a relative’s home in Cincinnati, the report stated.
Anyone with information is urged to call 333-COPS.
TweetEaster dinner stolen from woman’s refrigerator
DAYTON - Police are looking for the person(s) who broke into a house in the 1100 block of Edwin C. Moses Boulevard Saturday, April 11, and stole Easter dinner from a woman’s refrigerator.
The 38-year-old woman told officers she left her home at about 11:30 a.m. and returned home at about 1:15 p.m. to find a ham and potatoes missing from her refrigerator, according to police.
She also said about 30 DVDs were taken, according to a police report. The burglar(s) broke a piece of glass in a door and gained access to the home, the report stated.
Police tried to talk with neighbors since the burglary happened in the middle of the day, but got no responses.
Anyone with information is asked to call 333-COPS.
TweetMother of slain teen arrested for biting, choking daughter
DAYTON - Police arrested the 34-year-old mother of a recently slain teen on charges she hit, kicked, choked and bit her 14-year-old daughter on Thursday, April 9.
Kesha D. Kelly faces charges of domestic violence and assault after becoming irate because her daughter said she was going to call children services and report her “being drunk,” according to a Dayton police report.
Kelly is the mother of Damarion Flippin, who was murdered in November while at an RTA bus stop. Kelly was in court on Tuesday, April 7, to confront her son’s killer, Scott Cook Jr., who was sentenced to 13 years for Flippin’s murder.
The teen said Kelly was drunk Thursday when she came to their home in the 100 block of Iroquois Avenue at about midnight, the report stated.
Kelly started chasing her daughter through the house when the teen threatened to call authorities, the report stated. The teen fell while running. While on the floor, Kelly punched, kicked and choked her daughter, who began to bleed, according to the report.
Kelly also hit her daughter with a telephone, the report stated.
The teen was treated for minor injuries. Kelly is in the Montgomery County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond and is expected to appear in court April 27, according to jail records.
TweetThree fires set at apartment ruled arson
DAYTON - Police and fire investigators are looking for suspects who tried to burn down an apartment building in the 2200 block of Rugby Road on Thursday, April 9.
Arson investigators were called to the apartments at about 6:44 a.m. after Dayton firefighters from Ladder 14 noticed three separate fires set in the doors and windows, according to a police report.
The fires were determined to be arson, the report stated.
Investigators found tissues stuffed in a door jamb and set on fire, the report stated. Tissues were also stuffed in a exterior door knob and ignited. Police also found burnt tissues stuffed through a hole in the window screen, the report stated.
All the fires burned out without causing serious damage to the building, the report stated. Occupants said a disgruntled tenant was recently evicted from the apartment, and police are looking for that person, the report stated.
Damage estimates were under $1,000, the report stated.
TweetMother arrested for biting, choking teenage daughter
DAYTON - Police arrested a 34-year-old mother on charges she hit, kicked, choked and bit her 14-year-old daughter on Thursday, April 9.
Kesha D. Kelly faces charges of domestic violence and assault after becoming irate because her daughter said she was going to call children services and report her “being drunk,” according to a Dayton police report.
The teen said Kelly was drunk when she came to their home in the 100 block of Iroquois Avenue at about midnight, the report stated.
Kelly started chasing her daughter through the house when the teen threatened to call authorities, the report stated. The teen fell while running. While on the floor, Kelly punched, kicked and choked her daughter, who began to bleed, according to the report.
Kelly also hit her daughter with a telephone, the report stated.
The teen was treated for minor injuries. Kelly is in the Montgomery County Jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond and is expected to appear in court April 27, according to jail records.
TweetWitness intimidation charge approved for homicide suspect
DAYTON - A felony charge of witness intimidation was approved Thursday, April 9, by the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office against an 18-year-old man police said is the “main suspect” in the city’s latest homicide.
Steven L. Mayberry Jr. turned himself in to a neighborhood assistance officer, who was getting off duty, behind Dayton police headquarters downtown about 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, according to police.
Homicide detectives had been looking for Mayberry in the shooting death of Christopher Hinton, 18, inside a Cricket Wireless store in the 3600 block of North Main Street on April 1.
In a story we published earlier this week, a witness to the shooting said Mayberry had been threatening to “kill him” because the witness was talking to police.
Prosecutors are expected to meet with detectives again to decide on formal charges related to Hinton’s death, said Prosecutor Mathias Heck Jr.’s spokesman, Greg Flannagan.
Flannagan said homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting and did not present evidence to prosecutors on Thursday.
Mayberry is expected to appear in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court on Monday, April 13.
A group of men, including longtime pastor Tom Byrd Jr., who urged Mayberry to turn himself in, accompanied Mayberry to the police station Wednesday night, police said.
Homicide detectives were called in and Mayberry, wearing a black Cincinnati Reds cap and red and white jacket, was arrested and taken to the county jail at 11:30 p.m.
Hinton was gunned down by two men, according to police. Detectives are still looking for the second gunman.
The shooting sparked a series of wild events that included a police chase that sent three officers to a hospital.
Hinton was the city’s 10th homicide victim this year. Check the status of the other nine homicides by clicking here.
TweetMan says he doesn’t know he was shot in face
DAYTON — A 48-year-old Dayton man was discovered beaten in front of a Christian ministry and outreach program building on Wednesday, April 8, and told police he did not know he had been shot in the face, according to a police report.
Officers were dispatched to the 1700 block of Harold Drive at 8:30 a.m. on the report of a man injured. Employees at the facility told officers the man had been dropped off in front of the building by other men, the police said.
The men who dropped the injured man off fled the scene, the report said. His face was badly swollen and his eyes were swollen shut, the report said.
The victim, who was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, told police four people had “jumped him and kicked him and hit him in the head,” the report said. The man did not give police many details, the report said.
A medical examination determined the man had also been shot one time in the face, the report said. The man told police he didn’t know he had been shot, the report said. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Police continue to search for the possible assailants.
TweetPastor, friends urged Mayberry to turn self in
DAYTON - A felony charge of witness intimidation was approved Thursday, April 9, by the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s office against an 18-year-old man police said is the “main suspect” in the city’s latest homicide.
Steven L. Mayberry Jr. turned himself in to a neighborhood assistance officer getting off duty behind police headquarters about 10 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, according to police.
Homicide detectives have been looking for Mayberry in connection with the shooting death of Christopher Hinton, 18, inside a Cricket Wireless store in the 3600 block of North Main Street on April 1.
In a story we published earlier this week, a witness to the shooting said Mayberry had been threatening to “kill him” because the witness was talking to police.
Prosecutors are expected to meet with detectives again to decide on formal charges related to Hinton’s death, prosecutor spokesman Greg Flannagan said.
Flannagan said homicide detectives are still investigating the shooting and did not present evidence Thursday to prosecutors.
Mayberry is expected to appear in court on Monday, April 13.
A group of men, including a longtime pastor who urged Mayberry to turn himself in, accompanied Mayberry to the police station downtown Wednesday night, police said.
Homicide detectives were called in and Mayberry, wearing a black Cincinnati Reds cap and red and white jacket, was arrested and taken to the Montgomery County Jail at 11:30 p.m.
He was held on a felonious assault charge, but that charge has not been formally approved.
Hinton was gunned down by two men, according to police. Detectives are still looking for the second gunman.
The shooting sparked a series of wild events that included a police chase that sent three officers to a hospital.
Hinton, 18, was the city’s 10th homicide victim this year. Check the status of the other nine homicides by clicking here.
TweetFour arrested in crack bust near church
DAYTON — Four people were arrested for either possessing or selling drugs during an undercover operation in which detectives purchased crack outside of a Santa Clara Avenue church, according to a police report.
Detectives arrested the quartet at an apartment at 44 Santa Clara Ave. following the incident at 6:34 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7, the report said. The arrested were: Danny J. Parson, 42 (trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs) ; Travis B. Kirkland, 35 (possession of drugs); Tyree S. Parson, 22 (trafficking in drugs, possession of drugs); and Mary L. Stone, 59 (possession of drug paraphernalia).
Detectives first contacted Tyree Parson, known as “T.Y.,” via cell phone, the report said. He directed the detectives, who asked to buy $50 worth off crack cocaine, to the Santa Clara Apostolic Temple, 60 Santa Clara Ave., the report said.
Danny Parson met the detectives at the curb.
“Danny says, ‘You’re not the police, are you?’ ” the report said. “I said no. He said all right, again are you sure you’re not the police? I said no.”
Danny Parson then sold the detectives $50 worth of crack. After the sale, other detectives moved in on Danny and Tyree Parson, arresting them as they entered one of the apartments at 44 Santa Clara Ave.
Also inside the apartment, detectives arrested Kirkland, who possessed heroin while sitting on the couch, and Stone, who had a crack pipe nearby as she cooked chicken in the kitchen, the report said.
TweetSecond suspect arrested in violent UD robbery
DAYTON - Police have arrested another robbery suspect that beat up and robbed two University of Dayton students on campus property last month.
Jerritt “Little Jerry” Gales, 20, was arrested on Saturday, April 4, in the 400 block of East Helena Street on an unrelated warrant issued by Trotwood police, Det. Cayce Cantrell said.
The robbery victims picked Gales out of a lineup after his arrest and detectives charged him on felony aggravated robbery and felony theft charges, according to police.
Officers arrested Ronald G. Taylor, 20, on March 12 on charges related to the robbery. One suspect remains at large.
Two UD students said they were robbed at gunpoint on March 9 at the Garden Apartments, 312 E. Stewart St., by the three men who forced their way into one of the apartments.
Officers arrived about 10:06 p.m. and the students, 20 and 21 years old, told police they buzzed the robbers into the apartment building because they thought it was a delivery driver for Corleone’s Pizza.
When one of the students looked through the door’s peephole, he saw three men.
One of the students said he recognized one of the men from a recent campus party they attended, so he opened the door, according to a police incident report.
He told police that when he started to open the door, the three men forced their way into the apartment, Johns said.
One of the intruders had a rifle. Another had a handgun. It’s not clear whether the third person was armed, Johns said.
A second student in the apartment was hit in the face with the handgun. That student was taken to Miami Valley Hospital for stitches, Johns said. The student who opened the door apparently was not hurt, Johns said.
One of the students told police the only intruder he recognized goes by the name “Little Jerry.” The student said that at the party, he told Little Jerry where he lived and that they should “hang out,” the report stated.
The robbers took a wallet, two laptops, two cell phones and pictures all valued at an estimated $4,000, the report stated.
TweetPolice on scene of school bus accident
Kyle Nagel, Staff Writer
DAYTON — A woman driving a Chrysler PT Cruiser ran a stop sign on Kipling Drive and collided with a Dayton Public Schools bus in a crash that caused five injuries on Monday, April 6, police said.
Ashley Jennings will be cited for her failure to stop while driving north on Kipling at about 3:50 p.m., said Dayton Sgt. Michael Godsey. The bus, which was driving west on Otterbein Avenue, struck the PT Cruiser, and five people — a 9-year-old from the bus and two children (aged 2 and 7) and two adults (including Jennings) from the car — were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Godsey said.
The ages of the two adults, including Jennings, were not immediately available. There is no stop sign on Otterbein Avenue.
The bus remained facing west in the intersection of Otterbein and Kipling following the accident, and the PT Cruiser finished facing southeast in the lawn of a house on the northwest corner of the two streets.
The bus sustained minor damage to its front left side and was driven away from the scene at about 4:55 p.m. The PT Cruiser suffered heavy damage to its right side, and firefighters used the Jaws of Life to remove the front seat passenger, an adult. The PT Cruiser was later towed from the scene.
None of the four passengers in the PT Cruiser was wearing any sort of safety restraint, said Dayton Fire Lt. Tom Cope.
A small crowd gathered in the lawn as firefighters removed the rear passenger door and another obstruction inside the PT Cruiser and reclined the front passenger seat to remove the final adult from the car. One woman was briefly restrained by others in the crowd as she got very emotional while the final passenger was removed.
The remaining children on the bus were released at about 4:33 p.m. Many of them had parents who gathered at the site.
TweetPolice: Suspect in homicide threatening to kill witness
DAYTON - The man police said is “the main” suspect in the homicide of Christopher Hinton is calling and threatening to kill a witness in the shooting, according to police.
A 19-year-old man called police on Saturday, April 4, at about 3:30 p.m. and said Steven Mayberry repeatedly called him and said he was going “to kill him because (the 19-year-old) was talking to the police,” according to police.
The man’s mother called Mayberry’s aunt, Kelly Wilcox, to try and get the threats to stop, but she told officers she could hear Mayberry in the background “screaming about shooting someone,” according to police.
Officers, along with Trotwood police, went to Mayberry’s house in the 1500 block of Leah Drive to look for him, but the house was empty, according to police.
Hinton was gunned down on April 1 by two men as he walked into the Cricket Wireless store in the 3600 block of North Main Street, police said. The gunmen dragged Hinton outside the store and continued to shoot him, police said.
Hinton’s mother said Monday, April 6, she has received odd phone calls, but said no threats have been made against her.
Addressing questions for the first time, Carmella Davis, said she has not talked with homicide detectives since her son’s death because she has “reservations,” but would not be specific.
“I just lost my son,” she said. “I am trying to collect my thoughts. I am scared and all I hear are bits and pieces of things.”
Davis said Steven Mayberry was not a familiar name to her.
“I just want justice to be done,” said Davis, adding that she last saw Hinton on March 30 and he seemed in “good spirits.”
There are at least two men living in the area named Steven Mayberry and police would not specify if the suspect is Mayberry, 39, or Mayberry Jr., 19.
Police have not released the name of the second suspected gunman.
Hinton is the city’s 10th homicide victim this year, according to police.
You can read more of the homicide by clicking here.
TweetPolice find beer cans at scene of bizarre stabbing
DAYTON - Officers arrested Shane Cooper on Saturday, April 4, after multiple witnesses said he stabbed a man during a fight in the 200 block of South Harbine Street.
Cooper, 38, said he was inside James Briscoe’s house and thought Briscoe stole his medication and cell phone, according to a police report.
A scuffle broke out inside the house, and Cooper said he left but returned at about 7:30 p.m. to get his cell phone and medication back, according to the report.
Witnesses said Cooper started breaking front windows of the house, while Briscoe went out the back door, the report stated. Briscoe came around the front of the house and attacked Cooper, witnesses said.
During the fight, Cooper stabbed Briscoe in the left side of his back before fleeing, the report stated.
Officers arrived to find Briscoe in the front yard. He told officers, “He got my lung. I’m dying,” the report stated.
Officers found Cooper in a nearby alley. They could smell alcohol on his breath and he had blood on parts of his body, the report stated.
Both men were taken to Miami Valley Hospital. Briscoe is expected to recover, while Cooper had minor lacerations on his body.
Officers searched Cooper’s car, where they found his medication behind a seat, and Cooper had his cell phone in his pocket at the hospital, the report stated. Officers found numerous beer cans inside Briscoe’s house and in Cooper’s car, the report stated.
TweetChief: Deadly shooting possibly gang-related
DAYTON - Homicide detectives believe that the shooting death of Christopher Hinton inside a cell phone store is possibly gang-related, Police Chief Richard Biehl said Friday, April 3.
“There are signs of group violence, but we are not sure how current the connections are to the group,” Biehl said. “The people involved in the shooting are known to police.”
Biehl declined to name the gang or “group” possibly involved with the shooting.
Hinton’s family members have knowledge of the men who might be involved in the 18-year-old’s death, but are not cooperating, lead homicide detective Sgt. Gary White said.
Police continue to investigate Hinton’s death after he was shot inside and outside the Cricket Wireless store in the 3600 block of North Main Street at 6:34 p.m. Wednesday by two assailants who followed him into the store, White said.
Hinton died less than an hour later at Good Samaritan Hospital.
White declined to release a possible motive for the shooting, but he said Hinton’s sister, who drove him to Good Samaritan Hospital after the shooting, lied to detectives and withheld information during an interview.
Hinton’s death is the city’s 10th homicide this year, according to police.
The shooting sparked a wild series of events that included an SUV ramming a police cruiser and injuring three officers. Read more by clicking here.
TweetSheriff: Dispatch center still not taking 911 calls
MIAMISBURG - There is still no reopening date set for the new Regional Dispatch Center as AT&T officials are still trying to fix five incoming phone lines Friday, April 3, Montgomery County Sheriff Phil Plummer said.
Five of the 32 lines are still malfunctioning, and AT&T officials can not figure out the problem, Plummer said.
Plummer suspended 911 operations at the center on Thursday, March 26, after phone and computer malfunctions caused dispatchers to take nearly 15 minutes to get firefighters to a house fire in Harrison Twp. Emergency calls are being taken at a backup facility underneath the county jail.
An AT&T official said Tuesday that 911 capabilities had been restored to the center, but Plummer said he wasn’t reopening it until he was “absolutely confident” a malfunctioning phone relay system had been fixed.
Plummer said he intends to seek any available restitution from AT&T for the time and money lost during the seven days — and counting — the center has been offline.
Michael Kehoe, vice president for AT&T Ohio, said Tuesday it is “too early” to say if the county will be reimbursed for any lost revenue.
He rebuffed questions about whether AT&T was to blame, but said it was an AT&T “equipment problem.”
Plummer said he wants “exhaustive testing” of new equipment installed by AT&T once the five phone lines are fixed.
TweetWoman leads cops to man exposing himself to children
DAYTON - Police arrested a 61-year-old man Wednesday, April 1, after a woman said she noticed him exposing himself to children playing basketball, according to police.
Russell Shoup is in the Montgomery County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of public indecency after he was found at Burkhardt Center about 7:30 p.m., according to police and jail records.
The woman was driving by the park, with her two young daughters in the car, when they noticed a man exposing himself to children, according to police.
The woman stopped her car and yelled at the man, according to police. The man then got back in his vehicle and took off.
The woman called police and followed the car until he was stopped by officers at 224 S. Irwin St.
TweetDayton police also seeing Craigslist prostitution
DAYTON — The arrest on Tuesday, March 31, of three people in Kettering stemming from a craigslist erotic services advertisement came less than a week after Dayton police arrested two women who advertised on the site that they would perform sexually with each other.
Sylvia M. Owens, 21, and Morgan B. Moon, 20, were arrested on Wednesday, March 25, on charges of prostitution after undercover police officers responded to their ad and invited them to a North Keowee Street motel, according to a police report.
One of the undercover officers found the ad, titled “Porn star quality - ww4m” under the erotic services tab and contacted the cell phone number listed, which was answered by Owens. The women arrived and agreed to perform for what they thought was a party, the report said.
The women agreed to a fee of $500 and began performing sex acts in front of the officers, the report said. They were arrested at 11:31 p.m. and booked into Montgomery County Jail.
Moon faces an additional charge of possessing criminal tools after officers found a pipe used to smoke marijuana in her purse, the report said. The women also asked the officers before they arrived if the officers had any marijuana.
The arrest was one of at least eight made by Dayton police since September stemming from ads on craigslist. Police noted in the reports that they have made a number of arrests using information from or making contact through the Web site.
TweetDayton police lose ‘one of our best’
DAYTON - Dayton police officers reported for duty with heavy hearts Wednesday, April 1, after learning 22-year veteran Detective Phil Olinger lost his battle with cancer the night before.
Olinger 46, died from an unknown form of cancer weeks after being diagnosed. He spent the last the few years as a detective with the special victims unit, dealing with sexual abuse and abused children, according to police.
“He was extraordinarily well liked and much admired as a police officer and as an individual,” Chief Richard Biehl said. “His work ethic was next to none and Phil was a person you could always depend on.”
Olinger was off duty for three weeks while battling the disease, Det. Cayce Cantrell said. Funeral arrangements are pending.
“He was one of our best,” said Lt. John Huber, who supervised Olinger’s unit for four years. “He’s probably one of the best interviewers we have here. In fact, he was the best. He will be missed.”
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TweetUpset ex takes handgun to SUV
DAYTON — A woman told police that an ex-boyfriend apparently upset because he thought she was with another man put four bullet holes into her male friend’s car, according to a police report.
Officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of Germantown Pike at 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1. When they arrived, they saw a Chevrolet Blazer parked near the house with four bullet holes and a flat tire, the report said.
The woman told police her ex-boyfriend had been knocking on her front door and windows and asking who was in the house with her. Once he stopped knocking, she heard gun shots outside before the ex-boyfriend drove off, the report said.
Officers went to the ex-boyfriend’s address and found a Cadillac sedan with a 9 millimeter Luger shell casing lying on it. Officers also recovered four similar spent casings near the Blazer, the report said.
The Blazer was shot in the rear right door, where the window shattered, and the left rear door. The right front tire was also flat from a bullet hole, the report said.
The Blazer belonged to a male friend of the complainant, the report said.
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