Charges may not come in runaway mom case

Search for Tehan cost $5,000 in OT

A woman who said she is Tiffany Tehan’s aunt (left) holds up a sign before a press conference by Xenia police. Tehan, who was missing from Xenia since Saturday, April 17, and her male companion, Tre Hutcherson, were found in Miami Beach, Fla., on Thursday, April 22.

Staff photo by Ron Alvey A woman who said she is Tiffany Tehan’s aunt (left) holds up a sign before a press conference by Xenia police. Tehan, who was missing from Xenia since Saturday, April 17, and her male companion, Tre Hutcherson, were found in Miami Beach, Fla., on Thursday, April 22.

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By Mark Gokavi and Lou Grieco, Staff Writers Updated 10:35 AM Friday, April 23, 2010

XENIA — The search for Tiffany Tehan cost Xenia taxpayers more than $5,000 in police overtime because of more than 100 extra hours. Whether it costs Tehan or her family any criminal charges is unknown.

“We will consult the prosecutor’s office and see what they feel is appropriate,” Xenia police Capt. Scott Anger said Thursday, April 22.

Neither Xenia Prosecutor Ronald C. Lewis nor Greene County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen K. Haller returned phone calls Thursday seeking comment.

“These individuals took actions that impeded our ability to find them as quickly,” Anger said. “They could have made some choices — leaving some word with somebody before they left, they could have called at some point that they knew (a search) was happening.”

Tom Hagel, a professor at the University of Dayton School of Law, said there was a possibility that Tehan or Hutcherson could be charged with inducing panic, a misdemeanor, but added it would be unlikely a prosecutor could win.

Inducing panic means making a false report of a crime or catastrophe, threatening to commit a violent offense, or “committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the likelihood that its commission will cause serious public inconvenience or alarm,” according to Ohio law.

An FBI spokesman said the pair would not be charged with any federal crimes. Xenia police asked the agency to assist the investigation.

Asked to compare the $5,000 bill to other high-cost situations, Xenia City Manager Jim Percival said: “It doesn’t come close to the tornado.”

“I guess we can debate the whys and the wherefores, but the guys did just a tremendous job on this case and need to be commended for that,” Percival said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-6951 or mgokavi@DaytonDailyNews.com.