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March 2010
Man robs pizza store
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - Sheriff’s deputies are looking for a man who walked into the Little Caesars Pizza restaurant during lunch time and robbed the store with what appeared to a handgun.
Employees at the store in the 3800 block of North Dixie Drive said the lone robber was a black man, about 5-feet-9, medium build and facial hair walked in about 12:50 p.m., Maj. Dave Hale said.
The suspect had something in his hand that was covered and appeared to gun, Hale said.
No one was hurt during the robbery. The suspect, dressed in a tan hooded sweatshirt, jumped into an early 1990s cream color car with an undisclosed amount of cash, Hale said.
TweetBogus rap concert has police hunting Indiana man
DAYTON - Police are looking for an Indiana man suspected of promoting a bogus rap concert at a local union hall, collecting money from people and then fleeing the venue with the cash.
Concertgoers started ransacking the IUE-CWA Union Hall, 313 S. Jefferson St., when they realized there was not going to be a concert about 1 a.m., Sunday, March 28, police said.
The hall was rented to Anthony Brown, of Bloomington, Ind., who promoted a “huge entertainment event in which several (rap) celebrities” were going to perform, police said. Brown hired his own security and people to take money at the front door, police said.
Brown collected $30 per person - more for VIPs - and then took off in a car, Lt. Larry Faulkner said.Officers were called to the union hall about 1:15 a.m. and found hundreds of people damaging the union’s property, police said.
Vending machines, televisions, a water fountain and a copy machine were damaged, police said. Union officials said surveillance equipment was installed days before the concert and should have captured nearly all the events that night.
It is unclear what rappers were promised to appear at the bogus concert.
Police are expecting to view that footage today. Anyone with information about the bogus concert or Brown’s whereabouts are urged to call 333-COPS.
TweetGuilty verdict handed down in Higgins Station slaying
DAYTON - Richard Evans faces a possible life sentence after a Montgomery County jury today, March 26, found him guilty on all counts related to the beating death of a man outside the Higgins Station bar last year.
Evans raised his hands in frustration as Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Katherine Huffman read guilty verdicts for all seven counts, including purposeful murder of Stephen Moody.
Evans and Moody were at Higgins Station bar in Trotwood on Sept. 26 when a series of fights broke out just after closing time, police said. Detectives later said Evans pistol-whipped Moody, knocking him to the ground.
Moody spent several days in a coma but never regained consciousness and died on Oct. 4 at Miami Valley Hospital. Witnesses said Moody was trying to break up a fight outside the bar and got caught in the fray.
“He wasn’t a club person and a real quiet person,” his mother Rhonda Moody said after the verdict was read. “I forgive (Evans) and I will pray for him. As a child of God that is what I am supposed to do.”
Huffman set a sentencing date of April 15 at 11 a.m.
TweetMan found guilty in drug-related, “execution” killing
DAYTON - A Montgomery County jury today, March 26, found Gudonavon Taylor guilty on all charges in the slaying of 25-year-old Jerod Bryson.
Bryson’s family cried quietly as members of Taylor’s family left the court room during the verdict’s announcement just after noon.
Prosecutors said Taylor “executed” his partner in selling drugs during an argument about money, shooting him “over and over and over again.”
Defense attorney Richard Skelton said that prosecutors’ lead witness, Louise Tamlyn, later admitted she was high on crack cocaine at the time, and that her statements to police changed substantially during the days after Bryson’s Dec. 7, 2007 slaying, including her description and identification of the alleged shooter. “As to when she smoked the crack, the statements are all over the board,” Skelton said.
Taylor was indicted on three counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Bryson, 25, also known as Jerod Wynn, had convictions for aggravated robbery and drug possession (crack cocaine). He was shot in the 200 block of Warren Street.
In a March 2008 hearing in Juvenile Court, Tamlyn, who lived in a rooming house at 116 E. Lincoln St., said she let Bryson and Taylor sell drugs in the common area of the house. Juvenile Court Judge Anthony Capizzi found probable cause that Taylor was responsible for delinquency murder. His age and the seriousness of the charges sent the case to adult court.
Tweet13 dogs euthanized, couple faces more charges
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - The couple arrested on a child endangering charge in connection with hoarding 14 dogs inside an unkempt home is likely facing more misdemeanor charges after 13 of the dogs had to be euthanized.
Mark Kumpf, director of the Montgomery County Animal Resource Center, said his office plans to speak with prosecutors about animal cruelty charges against Michael Rhoads, 37, and his wife Mary Cole, 44.
Rhoads and Cole must clean up their home in the 2100 block of Claggett Drive after authorities found 14 “feral” dogs and animal feces throughout the entire home, authorities.
A person going door-to-door Saturday, March 20, called 911 after thinking a foul smell coming from the home was a dead body, sheriff’s Maj. Dave Hale said. Deputies noted feces on the walls, three feet high off the carpet in places, and trash throughout the home, Hale said.
The couple’s 14-year-old daughter was also inside the home and was placed in temporary custody of Children’s Services. Hale said the couple is being diligent about cleaning the house, but must follow a series of steps laid out by health department officials before returning for good.
As for the animals, Kumpf said a puppy has been quarantined because it bit someone inside the home, and it is unclear if the dog will be put down.
“The dogs pretty much had the run of the house,” Kumpf said. He added it appeared the three people inside were basically living among wild dogs.
“There was one bowl of water for 14 dogs, so it basically turned into survival of the fittest,” Kumpf said.
The Animal Resource Center is already at capacity, and Kumpf said kittens and puppies are available for immediate adoption. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday and closes at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
TweetCancer claims life of police officer
DAYTON - The city’s nearly 400 police officers are mourning the loss of one of their own today, March 25.
Officer Toni Hill, 47, succumbed to her long battle with cancer, passing away Tuesday, her colleagues said. Hill was hired in August of 1987 and has not been on active duty for some time, Sgt. Rob Rike said.
“She was always a very honest and funny person,” police union president Randy Beane said. “She was a very upstanding officer.”
Funeral services have been scheduled for noon Monday, March 29, at Greater Allen A.M.E. Church in Dayton. Share memories, condolences.
TweetTeenage mother and baby missing, authorities need your help
TROTWOOD - Montgomery County authorities need help in finding a missing teen and her 9-month-old child.
Taniqua Stephens was last seen at a foster home she was staying at early Saturday morning, March 20th, police said. She is described as being about 150 pounds and about 5-foot-5.
Anyone with information about her disappearance is urged to call 333-COPS or 224-KIDS.
TweetThree suspects in smash and grab now behind bars
DAYTON - Police now have in custody three of four men suspected of an early-morning smash and grab crime spree in southeast Dayton.
Quwan Lipsey, 20, Davion Lyons, 18, and James Jones II, 22 are all expected to appear in a Montgomery County court room this afternoon, March 24, each on a felony breaking and entering charge, according to jail records.
Four men, already suspected of stealing a car from the White Allen car dealership on North Main Street, are suspected of stealing numerous cell phones, computers, computer keyboards, tools and a flat screen TV from businesses along Brown Street near the University of Dayton, police said.
The suspects first broke into a business owned by activist, David Esrati, at 100 Bonner Street at 2:45 a.m. Fifteen minutes later, an alarm came from the Cricket store at 1202 Wayne Avenue. Another 15 minutes later the suspects broke into the T-Mobile store at 1201 Brown Street, police said.
Officers were in the area when the T-Moble store alarm sounded and chased the men, but lost the vehicle momentarily before finding it again in the Five Oaks neighborhood, police said. The four men bailed out the vehicle on foot, but officers were able to arrest Lyons and Lipsey.
Jones was found later that afternoon, police said.
Police believe they have recovered a majority of the stolen items and are still looking for the fourth suspect.
— Megan Constable contributed to this story.
TweetSchool bus driver suspected of burning child with spoon
DAYTON - Special Victims Unit detectives arrested a 33-year-old mother and Dayton Public Schools bus driver on a child endangering charge related to the burning of her 4-year-old daughter with a spoon.
Kristal Hill is in the Montgomery County Jail and has yet to appear in court on the felony charge, according to jail records. Officers responded to Dayton Children’s Medical Center on Saturday, March 20, about 11 p.m. after being notified of the girl’s injuries by hospital staff, according to a police report.
The girl’s father said he noticed a burn mark on her shoulder later Saturday and immediately took her to the hospital, the report stated.
The girl’s parents are separated and the girl’s father said he had not seen her for nearly a week, the report stated. Doctors at the hospital said the burn appeared to be about four days old and was healing, the report stated.
The girl told a social worker she received the injury at school, but that story was false, police said. She later told her father her mother burned her with the spoon heated up on a stove, police said.
Hill initially was taken to a local hospital after complaining of some sort of seizure during the investigation, police said. After being medically cleared she was taken to jail and booked in about 11 a.m. Monday, according to jail records.
Her employment status with Dayton Public Schools is unknown at this time.
Children’s Services was expected to follow up with the family and determine the necessary course of action, police said. The child was placed her father, officials said.
Children’s Services officials ask parents or caregivers to call (937) 224-KIDS if they are thinking about hurting children or are feeling overwhelmed. There are experts on hand to talk with parents or guardians who feel they need help.
TweetDrug-trafficking suspect hospitalized after colliding with cruiser
Katie Wedell also reported on this story
DAYTON - A 19-year-old man suspected of trafficking in marijuana is in the hospital recovering from a severe leg injury after police said he collided with a cruiser while fleeing from officers Monday evening, March 22.
Officers tried to stop Jamal Anderson Jr., 19, near North Main Street and Mumma Avenue about 6:30 p.m., police said. Anderson, wanted on a felony drug-trafficking warrant, fled the scene as officers chased him near Mumma, police said.
As officers tried to contain the scene, Anderson collided with the side of a police cruiser and severely injured his leg, Lt. Brian Johns said. He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital and underwent surgery for a broken ankle, Johns said.
Anderson’s aunt, Pamela Moss, said an officer ran over her nephew’s foot and he might never walk again. Police said there is no evidence that supports Moss’ claim and Anderson will likely face obstructing official official business and resisting arrest charges.
Lt. Patrick Welsh said officers were awaiting Anderson’s release from the hospital today before booking him into the Montgomery County Jail on those charges and the outstanding warrant.
TweetWoman shot in parking lot of West Dayton apartment complex
A woman was in stable condition at Good Samaritan Hospital on Monday night after being shot in the arm.
Dayton Police Lt. Brian Johns said the woman and her boyfriend arrived around 10:30 p.m. at the hospital, where she was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The woman didn’t provide many details about the incident, but her boyfriend said the pair had traveled to an apartment complex on Summit Square Drive off of Hoover Avenue to buy drugs when she was shot through the window of their truck, according to police.
Johns said police had made no arrests as of late Monday and didn’t have much to go on in the search for a suspect.
TweetDog feces forces deputies to empty house after neighbor complaints
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - A couple was arrested on a felony child endangering charge after Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies found 15 dogs inside a home covered in animal feces Saturday, March 20.
Neighbors in the 2100 block of Claggett Drive called deputies and reported a foul smell with a possible dead body inside, Maj. Dave Hale said. Deputies arrived at the home about 11 a.m. and found numerous animals inside the home of Michael Rhoads, 37, and his wife Mary Cole, 44, Hale said.
The couple’s 14-year-old daughter was also inside the home, which contained a significant amount of trash and dog feces everywhere - even smeared along the walls as far as three feet high off the carpet, Hale said.
Rhoads said he had no idea how many animals were inside the home. Deputies arrested Cole and Rhoads and called Children’s Services to take custody of their daughter, Hale said.
The house was not condemned, but will be inspected by health department officials and at least be cleaned before the family can re-enter, Hale said. The teenager was placed with relatives or temporarily put in foster care, officials said.
Officials from the Animal Resource Center were called and removed the dogs. Officials urge those who have too many animals or those concerned about pets belonging to friends or neighbors to call (937) 898-4457.
TweetJuvenile charged in murder of 19-year-old cousin
DAYTON - A murder charge has been filed against a 16-year-old boy who police said shot his cousin to death in November over a dispute about drugs.
The juvenile’s name is not being released but Montgomery County Prosecutor’s and he has yet to be indicted by a grand jury in the death Trenton Scroggins, prosecutor’s spokesman Greg Flannagan said Tuesday, March 16.
The teen has been in the Juvenile Justice Center since Scroggins was shot in late November and is expected to be transferred to the county jail at some point, Flannagan said. If indicted, prosecutors will seek to try the juvenile as an adult, Flannagan said.
The cousins got into a dispute on Nov. 21 about 8 p.m. over a drug debt and guns were displayed, Sgt. Gary White said at the time. Scroggins, then 19, was shot multiple times and died hours later during surgery at Miami Valley Hospital, authorities said.
The shooting appeared to be gang-related and police had a difficult time getting witnesses to cooperate, authorities said.
Scroggins was the city’s 37th homicide victim of 2009. To check the status of all homicides since 2008 and view an interactive map where they occurred, click here.
TweetJailed doctor cited by medical board after patient complaints
HUBER HEIGHTS - The State Medical Board of Ohio has cited a 48-year-old Huber Heights doctor already in jail on a conspiracy to commit murder charge for alleged “sexual misconduct” with 13 patients in his practice.
Joan Wehrle, an executive with the medical board, said Tuesday, March 16, the citation is the beginning of disciplinary actions the board intends to pursue against Dr. Shafik Ahmad.
“The board alleges that Dr. Ahmad engaged in sexual misconduct with patients, violated provisions of the American Medical Association’s Code of Ethics, violated board rules related to sexual misconduct, and did not conform to minimal standards of care,” Wehrle said.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies in October arrested Ahmad on charges related to a murder plot targeting Ahmad’s former wife, Sheriff Phil Plummer said at the time.
Ahmad was arrested in the 100 block of East Spring Valley Road after an informant tipped investigators to the murder conspiracy, Plummer said. Ahmad remains in jail on $3 million bond and no trial date has been set in the case, according to court records.
His former wife was not harmed.
Ahmad can continue to practice medicine pending a personnel hearing, Wehrle said. State medical records show Ahmad operates a family practice at 6750 Brandt Pike in Huber Heights and at 2550 Shiloh Springs in Trotwood.
His offices have been shuttered since his arrest.
Before the alleged murder plot was uncovered, several of Ahmad’s patients lodged complaints, alleging inappropriate sexual comments and touching, according to medical board records.
None of the complaints resulted in Ahmad being criminally charged though he has been sued by at least one person related to allegations and had to pay $30,000 in damages and fees.
TweetMan who injured officer, shut down road faces slew of charges
DAYTON - A city police officer is recovering from a hand injury after a 42-year-old man who allegedly had drug paraphernalia in his car crashed the vehicle while trying to escape late Monday night, March 15.
Frederick Cooks was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on felony charges of vehicular assault, drug possession, assault of a police officer and carrying a concealed weapon after he was arrested by police on North Gettysburg Avenue near James H. McGee Boulevard, according to jail records.
Officers stopped a 2006 Chevrolet Impala Cooks was driving about 7:50 p.m., but as they approached, Cooks slammed the officers hand in the door and drove off, police said.
The Impala subsequently crossed the median, hit a pickup truck and crashed head-on into a passenger vehicle, police said. Cooks attempted to flee the scene but was caught by officers.
He and two people from the vehicles he struck were transported to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Everyone, including the officer, have all been treated and released from local hospitals.
The crashes shut down traffic in both directions on Gettysburg. Police found a handgun, a bag of crack cocaine, two bags of marijuana, a half-smoked marijuana cigarette and a drug scale disguised as an iPhone in or around Cooks’ vehicle, police said.
Cooks initial court hearing is scheduled for today, March 16, at 1:30 p.m., according to jail records.
TweetMan’s cat mauled to death on porch by loose dog
DAYTON - The owner of a Boxer/Labrador mix dog was warned she could face criminal charges if her dog gets loose and kills or harms again.
Officers responded to the 300 block of North Cherrywood Avenue about 4:30 p.m. after a man called and said the dog got loose and killed his cat on his front porch, according to a police report.
Harry Boltz said his cat was sitting on the windowsill when the dog ran up and killed it, the report stated. Boltz said the dog is an aggressive animal as officers noticed a large amount of blood on the porch, the report stated.
The dog’s owner, Catherine Graham, was not available but her daughter Angela Marshall said the dog had gotten loose, the report stated. Officers warned her if the dog gets out again or harms something again there would be criminal consequences.
The dog did have a valid license and was registered, police.
TweetChild pornography leads to arrest of Huber Heights man
HUBER HEIGHTS - A 42-year-old nursing student is in the Montgomery County Jail after U.S. Marshals arrested him this morning, March 16, on a warrant for pandering sexually obscene material and sexually oriented material involving a minor charges.
Deputy Marshals were waiting at Miami-Jacobs Career College, 110 N. Patterson Blvd., when Brian Mathis walked in for class about 8 a.m., Deputy Marshal Jeremy Rose said.
His arrest comes after his live-in girlfriend notified Kettering police that Mathis allegedly downloaded child pornography onto her computer, Kettering Officer Michael Burke said. Police presented their case to county prosecutors earlier this month and last week a grand jury indicted Mathis on the felony pandering charges, according to court records.
“Three times in 2009 Mr. Mathis downloaded child pornography on his girlfriend’s computer,” Burke said. “She gave us consent to remove (the computer) from her home and we submitted it as evidence.”
Marshals first went to Mathis’ mother’s house in Huber Heights were he lives, but she said Mathis was on his way to class, Rose said. He was arrested without incident.
TweetMan found by van died from natual causes, coroner says
DAYTON - Homicide detectives have been called to the 600 block of Hillrose Avenue on the report of a dead body this morning, March 15.
Rick Meyer was pronounced dead at the scene this morning about 9:30 a.m., according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. He died of natural causes.
Neighbors said Meyer was severely ill and might have died from an ongoing illness.
TweetWoman found dead behind house considered homicide victim
DAYTON — Investigators suspect foul play in the death of a 47-year-old woman whose body was found Sunday, March 14, behind a vacant home . The woman’s pants were unbuttoned and there was blood near her eye.
Kimberly Paradiso’s death is considered a homicide, though an official ruling is pending toxicology tests that could answer numerous questions surrounding her death, Montgomery County Coroner’s Director Ken Betz said.
Betz said Paradiso suffered “soft tissue” damage, but declined to elaborate in an effort not to compromise the investigation. He would not say if Paradiso was sexually assaulted.
It appears she died near or where her body was found, investigators said.
Five children, all under the age of 10, found Paradiso’s rain-soaked body behind a home at 58 Warder St. about 3 p.m., police and residents in the area said.
It appears she had been lying there for 24 hours or more, police said. There is no record of Paradiso reported missing , police said.
Homicide detectives spent most of Monday tracking down family members and trying to figure out the last time Paradiso was seen alive. Paradiso’s family asked for privacy and declined comment.
Court records show Paradiso was divorced in 2005 and had one child under the age of 18. She had been arrested numerous times on charges including misdemeanor menacing, domestic violence and public intoxication, according to court records.
TweetMan arrested in connection with early-morning shooting
DAYTON - A 20-year-old man was arrested this morning, March 12, in connection with a man found by police with a gunshot wound to the head.
Aaron Craycraft was in the Montgomery County Jail on a first-degree felony assault charge after officers responded to a shooting near the 1700 block of east Third Street and found a victim with a head wound, police said.
The bullet appeared to graze the victim, who did not want to pursue charges, police said. Officers were able to track down Craycraft, who they believe was the shooter. The shooting happened some time before 6 a.m. after a disagreement between a group of people, police said.
TweetMedics racing to scene of four-car crash
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - Numerous paramedics are responding to a four-car crash near the intersection of Klepinger and Turner roads about noon today, March 12.
It is unknown how many are injured or what is the cause of the accident, but as many as four medic units were asked to respond to the scene, according to police scanner traffic.
TweetPolice officer charged with menacing after brandishing gun
DAYTON - A Dayton International Airport Police officer is facing a misdemeanor menacing charge after witnesses and victims said he brandished his city-issued handgun in front of kids to threaten a man while off duty.
City police responded to the 300 block of Maryland Avenue about 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, after receiving a call that Michael Lawson “pulled a gun out” and threatened someone, according to a police report.
Officers later learned Lawson, 30, had pulled out a gun in front of his girlfriend’s children after threatening their father with physical harm, according to a police report. Lawson was not arrested, but ordered in to talk with prosecutors Thursday, March 11.
A case was created in Dayton Municipal Court Thursday morning with a misdemeanor charge of menacing, according to court records. Lawson is scheduled for arraignment in municipal court on March 23.
Lawson has been placed on paid administrative leave and his weapon seized by his supervisor. He was not home early Thursday afternoon and was unavailable for comment.
After arriving at Maryland Avenue, officers found Lawson, 30, in his gray Jeep Cherokee on Deeds Avenue and he immediately jumped out of the vehicle and identified himself as an airport police officer, the report stated.
Lawson said he returned his city-issued Glock 22 back in house after having an argument with the father of his girlfriend’s children, police said. Lawson said he and Mark Shade have had numerous run-ins the last four months he has been dating his girlfriend.
Lawson said Shade has threatened him with physical harm numerous time and started yelling at him while waiting at an RTA bus stop Wednesday. But Shade contends Lawson pulled up in his Jeep and started cussing at him, the report stated.
Witnesses also reported Lawson approached Shade and made threatening comments, police said. Lawson then returned to his Jeep and retrieved a gun, police said.
Numerous witnesses said Shade’s children started screaming “He pulled a gun” before a resident in the area grabbed Lawson and broke up the altercation, the report stated.
This isn’t Lawson’s first brush with police. He was arrested on a domestic violence charge in May but the charges were later dismissed, according to court records.
The Dayton International Airport has 27 full-time police officers, many of which are members of the Dayton Public Service Union, city officials said.
TweetSchool placed on lockdown after woman brandishes gun
DAYTON - Multiple police officers are responding to the Immaculate Conception School on South Smithville Road about 3 p.m. as reports are coming in a woman is driving recklessly through the parking lot while brandishing a gun.
The car is described as a black Jeep that was lat seen heading south on Smithville Road.
The school has been placed on lock down and there are no reports of injuries at this time, according to police scanner traffic.
Stay with DaytonDailyNews.com.
TweetFBI investigation uncovers officer’s missing assault rifle
DAYTON - An FBI investigation into illegal drug activity uncovered a Dayton Police officer’s missing assault rifle Wednesday, March 10, inside a Trotwood home.
Officer James Hardin’s AR-15 assault rifle had been missing since Feb. 14, after he placed it on the roof of his cruiser and drove off, police said.
Hardin last saw the gun near Wayne and Wilmington avenues shortly after starting his shift, police said.
The gun was described as a Rock River Arms AR-15 .223 caliber rifle, valued at about $800, Maj Mark Hess said. The gun’s serial number was entered into a nationwide crime database and matched that of the gun found inside a home on Brumbaugh Boulevard Wednesday, police said.
FBI agents also found $4,500 in cash and marijuana, police said. The identities of the people inside the home being investigated by the FBI were not released.
Lt. Chris Williams, Hardin’s supervisor, said it is likely the officer will face some sort of discipline for losing his weapon. An internal affairs spokesman said no discipline had been filed as of Thursday morning.
TweetIndiana man feared dead found during drug bust
DAYTON - Police delivered good and bad news to an Indiana family who thought their loved one was dead from a drug overdose, but was instead discovered in the front seat of a car in Dayton Tuesday, March 10.
Mark Price, 28, is alive but is now in the Montgomery County Jail on drug paraphernalia possession and theft charges after officers found drugs in the car, according to a police report.
Officers were patrolling the 200 block of Valley Street about 6:30 p.m. when they noticed Jeremy Braden, who was an alleged theft suspect, behind the wheel of a 2003 Buick Century, the report stated.
Both Price and Braden, 19, got out of the car and tried to walk away as officers approached, but were escorted back to the vehicle, the report stated. Officers found baggies of marijuana in Braden’s pocket which he said he planned to sell, the report stated.
Braden was arrested on a drug trafficking charge and is in jail, according to jail records.
Officers also discovered a crack pipe which Price said belonged to him, the report stated. Price’s family was later notified he was no longer missing and was alive. Both men are expected to appear in court today.
TweetPolice union unhappy with administration, threatens no-confidence vote
DAYTON - The city’s police union, citing breakdowns in communication and lack of action by police administration, are threatening a no-confidence vote in Asst. Chief Wanda Smith and Chief Richard Biehl.
The union’s membership voted unanimously late Tuesday night clearing the way for a no-confidence vote, union president Randy Beane said. He would not say how likely a no-confidence vote would be or when or if the union would take further action.
“We have made our issues known to (Biehl and Smith) and (Biehl) has failed to take any action,” Beane said. “So we have little choice but maybe do something we don’t want to in a no-confidence vote, but feel it’s necessary.”
The union’s threat comes after city officials late last week suspended Beane’s city email account because he sent union-related messages to officers on his city-issued email account, city officials said.
“Mr. Beane, in his capacity as president of the FOP, used the (city’s) e-mail system in an apparent attempt to guide the results of the investigation by directly contacting the supervisors assigned to conduct the investigation,” said Brent McKenzie, the city’s human resources director.”His action as president of the union left the city with no alternative than to discontinue his City of Dayton e-mail connection.”
Tensions have been bubbling between union officials and police administration for more than a year, but boiled over after Beane’s statements related to officers having to punch time clocks starting this summer.
“We’re tired of taking it from the city on things like this,” Beane said at the time. “We have a lot of dedicated officers who come in early and stay late and don’t claim that time. If the city is going to start tracking it, it is going to cost them. Big time.”
Those statements prompted Smith to ask police supervisors to investigate officers for the numbers of hours they work.
Beane said he sent an email late last week to nearly 390 officers, urging them to “tell the truth” and “don’t be intimidated by the threat of discipline.”
Biehl declined comment on the matter today, saying he wasn’t aware of a potential no-confidence vote and had heard nothing from union officials.
A no-confidence vote wouldn’t be the first for the police union. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 44 conducted a no-confidence vote in Chief William P. McManus in August of 2003 but it did not pass. McManus left less than a year later to take the Chief of Police job in Minneapolis.
Tweet17-year-old rape suspect turns self in
also reported by Steve Bennish
DAYTON - The 17-year-old suspected of raping a woman in front of her sister has turned himself into police this afternoon, March 9, police said.
Carlos Deonte Harris, accompanied by his mother, walked into the Juvenile Justice Center about 1:30 p.m. and surrendered to authorities, Sgt. Tom Flanders said.
Harris is accused of raping a woman at gunpoint and faces three felony counts of rape, two counts of kidnapping and two counts of robbery, Flanders said.
He has been at large more than five days since the alleged rape occurred. Flanders said detectives are interviewing Harris at police headquarters as of 3 p.m.
After the attack, police say Harris drove off in the woman’s SUV, which was later found abandoned. Flanders said both women were in their 20s.
Flanders said that Robert D. Murphy, 27, of Springfield, is no longer a suspect in the incident. Murphy had a relationship with one of the women in the crime. Murphy was taken into custody Thursday evening, but was later released.
The women were attacked on East Bruce Avenue after driving to that street early March 4 to meet up with Murphy.
When they arrived, a man carrying an automatic weapon, possibly an Uzi, jumped into their vehicle. He attempted to rob the two.
He then attacked and repeatedly raped the elder sister at gunpoint. He attempted to do the same to the younger sister but was talked out of it by the elder sister, Flanders said.
The attacker, later identified by police as Harris, then ordered both out of their vehicle and drove off.
Police had the vehicle in sight at one point, but the driver managed to elude them by driving dangerously through residential yards, Flanders said.
The vehicle, described as a tan/gold 2000 Oldsmobile Bravada SUV, was later found abandoned at West Fifth Street and Broadway.
All felony counts against Harris carry firearm specifications, as he was believed armed with a TEC-9 semi-auto or automatic weapon, Flanders said. Montgomery County Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to charge Harris as an adult, he added.
TweetBoys says mom slapped, bit him over peanut butter
DAYTON - A 36-year-old woman is in the Montgomery County Jail on a child endangering charge after her son told officers she repeatedly slapped him and bit him over peanut butter, according to a police report.
Officers responded to the 100 block of Kastner Avenue about 6:20 p.m. Monday, March 8, where they found an 11-year-old boy with redness on his face and back, the report stated. The boy said he was watching his 1-year-old niece and gave her peanut butter to eat.
The toddler got peanut butter on her face, so the boy woke his mother, Traci Shackleford, because he didn’t want to watch his niece anymore, the report stated.
The boy said Shackleford slapped him several times, knocking him down and then bit him on the back. The boy’s father arrived and said Shackleford has been “abusing pills,” the report stated.
Shackleford told police her son would not listen when asked to help clean up the peanut butter, the report stated. Shackleford said her son also cussed at her.
Children’s Services was called to the scene, but the boy was released to his father, authorities said.
TweetTeen arrested in connection with marijuana found at school
DAYTON - A teenager attending Thurgood Marshall High School faces expulsion and a felony drug trafficking charge in connection with nearly eight grams of marijuana found by school officials Monday, March 8.
Officers responded to 4447 Hoover Ave. about 11:20 a.m. after school officials said they found the juvenile carrying marijuana, according to a police report.
The boy admitted he sold the marijuana to make extra money, but claimed he never sold it on school property, the report stated.
The teen’s mother was called and said her son had a “good roof over his head” and she recently gave him $500 to spend on clothes and other things, the report stated.
The teen would not tell officers where he got the marijuana. He was released to his mother, but was issued a summons to appear in juvenile court, the report stated.
TweetHamburger to the face results in arrest
DAYTON - A 47-year-old man was booked into the Montgomery County Jail over the weekend on assault charge after a woman reported he hit her in the face with a hamburger.
Officers arrived in 200 block of Hart Street about 5:40 p.m. Saturday, March 6, where a woman said her uncle, John Buell, hit her in the eye with a hamburger, according to a police report.
The woman said Buell was arguing with her and then went into the kitchen, the report stated. He returned with a burger and smashed it into her face, the report stated.
Buell said his 32-year-old niece had been arguing with her mother and he came downstairs to throw her out of the house, the report stated. Buell said his niece spit at him and that’s when he went to get the hamburger.
Buell has since been released from jail and the assault charge is still pending, police said.
TweetMan shot in head identified as 34-year-old
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — The man found dead over the weekend from a single gunshot wound to the head has been identified as Dante J. Johnson, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
Sheriff’s deputies found Johnson, 34, slumped over in a vehicle parked in a lot near North Main Street and Turner Road about 3:40 a.m., Sunday, March 7, investigators said.
The shooting appears to be drug-related and investigators continue to follow leads, Chief Deputy Scott Landis said.
Johnson is the county’s 10th homicide victim this year. You can check the status of the investigation and all others since 2008 by checking out our homicide database.
Anyone with information about Johnson’s death should call 225-STOP.
TweetBond set at $2M for man arrested in creek killings
DAYTON - Bond has been set at $2 million for a man arrested in connection with the brutal murder of two men on Feb. 26.
Gregory A. Leet, 27, remains behind bars at the county jail today, March 5, on 10 felony charges, including: four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and single counts of tampering with evidence and robbery.
All charges are related to the execution-style killings of Nathan E. Gay, 49, and Harvey Sims Jr., whose bodies were found lying next to Bear Creek in Jefferson Twp. Both men had been shot several times, investigators said.
Leet, a registered Tier II sex offender, is believed to be the trigger man by Montgomery County Sheriff’s investigators who interviewed two other men who were present when Gay and Harvey Sims were shot to death, authorities said.
It appears Leet was trying to rob the men, authorities said.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Leet Wednesday morning at his home, 3377 S. Union Road, less than two miles from where Gay’s and Sims’ bodies were found.
Two other men arrested on tampering with evidence charges early Wednesday morning by Riverside police were released from jail Thursday and are not being charged with any crimes at this time, prosecutor’s spokesman Greg Flannagan said.
You can read more about this bizarre incident by clicking here.
TweetAlleged bank robber blames parents
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County - Sheriff’s deputies this morning, March 5, arrested a woman they said robbed a Waynesville bank earlier this week.
Amber Music was caught at the Good Nite Motel, 4101 Keats Ave., some time before 9 a.m. this morning, Chief Deputy Scott Landis said.
When asked why she robbed the bank, Music said it wasn’t her fault.
“Tell my parents to be better parents,” she said.
Deputies also recovered the car believed to have been used in the robbery. Music was taken to the Warren County Jail and her bond set at $150,000, according to jail records.
Waynesville police issued an area-wide bulletin for Music’s arrest after responding to the Main Street LCNB branch about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, authorities said.
Police said the woman entered the bank, placed a small multi-colored bag on the counter and handed the teller a note demanding money. The note indicated the teller would be shot for not complying, police said.
No customers were in the bank during the robbery and a weapon was never displayed, police said.
The woman did leave the bank with an undetermined amount of cash.
TweetRoutine traffic stop nets nearly $7k in cash, heroin
BROOKVILLE - A routine traffic stop along Interstate 70 turned into a major drug bust Tuesday, March 2, as Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies recovered nearly $7,000 in cash and eight ounces of heroin.
Gregory Kinnard, 45, and Danielle Warfield, 29, are in the county jail each on a felony drug possession charge after the drugs were removed from a rental car the pair was driving westbound along the interstate near mile marker 19 on I-70, Chief Deputy Scott Landis said.
Deputies and prosecutors have been meeting to get formal charges approved, but that has not happened as of Thursday morning.
The pair was stopped about 2 p.m. Tuesday for excessive speed and a curious deputy uncovered the money, Landis said. A drug-sniffing dog checked the car and immediately indicated there were drugs inside.
Kinnard nor Warfield are cooperating with drug detectives who want to know how they obtained the cash and heroin, investigators said. Neither have prior arrest records in the county, according to jail and court records.
TweetProsecutors charge one man in creek homicides
JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County - Prosecutors have charged one man with murder in the homicides of two Dayton men whose bodies were found along a rural section of Bear Creek last week.
Gregory Leet, 27, a Tier II registered sex offender is believed to be the trigger man by Montgomery County Sheriff’s investigators who interviewed two other men who were present when Nathan E. Gay, 49, and Harvey Sims Jr., 54 were shot to death, authorities said.
It appears Leet was trying to rob the men, authorities said.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Leet Wednesday morning at his home in the 3377 S. Union Road, less than two miles from where Gay’s and Sims’ bodies were found.
The other two men were arrested on tampering with evidence charges early Wednesday morning by Riverside police, but are not being charged with any crimes at this time, prosecutor’s spokesman Greg Flannagan said.
Flannagan did not say why the other two men were not being charged and their families have been told they will be released from jail later today. Sheriff’s officials were not immediately available for comment.
Leet faces a total of 10 felony charges, including; two counts murder (purposeful, one for each victim); two counts murder (proximate result of felonious assault); two counts felonious assault with a deadly weapon); two counts felonious assault, causing serious physical harm; one count tampering with evidence; one count aggravated robbery.
Stay with DaytonDailyNews.com for more information on this story.
TweetThree men arrested in connection with creek homicides
JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County - Homicide detectives with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office have arrested three men in connection with the shooting deaths of two men whose bodies were dumped by a rural creek.
The men are in jail on unrelated charges as detectives are waiting to meet with prosecutors some time today or early tomorrow to seek murder charges for the deaths of Harvey Sims Jr., 54, and Nathan E. Gay, 49, sheriff’s investigators said.
The suspects’ names are not being released at this time.
Gay and Harvey were found dead Friday morning, Feb. 26, near a section of Bear Creek that runs perpendicular to the 2700 block of Germantown Liberty Road.
They had multiple gunshot wounds, including at least one round to the head and their bodies were meticulously placed near the creek, about 40 yards from the road.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Scott Landis is not releasing any possible motives for the crimes and would not say if the victims and suspects knew each other.
Two of the men were arrested by Riverside police early this morning and then turned over to the sheriff’s officer, investigators said. The third suspect was arrested by sheriff’s detectives at his home less than two miles from where Sims’ and Gay’s bodies were found.
All face tampering with evidence charges, but those are just the initial booking charges so the men can be held while detectives discuss the case with prosecutors. Prosecutors have 48 hours to approve the charges before the men must be released.
Sims and Gay are the eighth and ninth homicide victims in the county this year. You can track the investigation into their deaths and all others since 2008 by clicking here.
TweetMen found dead near creek weren’t there long, coroner says
JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County - The bodies of two men meticulously placed next to a rural creek last week had been there only hours before they were found by a nearby landowner, investigators said today, March 2.
Homicide detectives continue to follow leads in the bizarre shooting deaths of Harvey Sims Jr., 54, and Nathan E. Gay, 49, but have no suspects, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Maj. Dave Hale said.
Montgomery County Coroner James Davis said the bodies had been placed near the creek less than eight hours before they were found about 11:30 a.m. Friday.
Both men were shot multiple times, including at least once execution-style in their heads, investigators said. The bodies were carried by foot down to the creek bank and then placed near the water, Landis said. It’s the placement of the bodies that has the attention of detectives because the killer(s) could have easily tossed them off the bridge and into the creek.
Sims and Gay might have been killed somewhere else and their bodies then driven to a creek that runs perpendicular to the 2700 block of Germantown-Liberty Road, Chief Deputy Scott Landis said
Sheriff’s investigators believe the victims were not homeless and might have stayed in government-subsidized housing or with friends before their deaths.
Detectives are looking for any surveillance video of the men that might help establish a time line of when they were last seen alive, Landis said.
“We are following up leads and making progress,” he said. “This is an unusual case so we are not ruling anything out.”
It is unclear how the men knew each other. Both men have extensive arrest records and are known to the Dayton Police Department, according to numerous police reports.
Sims was arrested multiple times in November on misdemeanor panhandling charges, but was known to police as someone who used drugs and associated with those who dealt in drugs, according to Dayton police reports.
Gay has also been arrested more than once for possessing drugs and/or instruments for drug use, according to police reports.
Sims and Gay are the eighth and ninth homicide victims in the county this year. You can track the investigation into their deaths and all others since 2008 by clicking here.
TweetMother screams at school bus driver, stands in front of bus
DAYTON - A mother who became irate at a Dayton Public Schools bus driver Monday, March 1, because the driver would not let her children on the bus is wanted by the police.
The bus driver was picking up children about 9:30 a.m. near Nicholas Road and Millicent Street when she said the mother came up to the bus and started yelling, according to a police report.
The woman’s two children recently had their bus-riding privileges revoked for five days by school officials, the report stated. She wanted her children to ride the bus Monday, the final day of the suspension, and started cussing at the driver in front of other children, the report stated.
The woman got on the bus and was threatening to hit the driver when another bus driver arrived. The mother then exited the bus and stood in the middle of the road, in front of the buses, while swearing at both drivers, the report stated.
The woman left the scene before officers arrived and did not answer her front door when police went looking for her, the report stated.
She is wanted a misdemeanor menacing charge, the report stated.
TweetBizarre creek killings have police looking for surveillance video
JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County - Homicide detectives are trying to find the last time anyone saw alive two men found dead near a rural creek; creating a scene investigators believe was meant to send a message to a person or group.
Investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office believe Nathan Gay and Harvey Sims Jr. were not homeless, but might have stayed in government-subsidized housing or with friends.
Both Sims, 54, and Gay, 49, were shot multiple times, including at least once execution-style in their heads, investigators said.
Sims and Gay might have been killed somewhere else and their bodies then driven to a creek that runs perpendicular to the 2700 block of Germantown-Liberty Road, Chief Deputy Scott Landis said
The bodies were carried by foot down to the creek bank and then placed near the water, Landis said. It’s the placement of the bodies that has the attention of detectives because the killer(s) could have easily tossed them off the bridge and into the creek.
Detectives are looking for any surveillance video of the men that might help establish a time line of when they were last seen alive, Landis said.
“We are following up leads and making progress,” he said. “This is an unusual case so we are not ruling anything out.”
It is unclear how the men knew each other. Both men have extensive arrest records and are known to the Dayton Police Department, according to numerous police reports.
Sims was arrested multiple times in November on misdemeanor panhandling charges, but was known to police as someone who used drugs and associated with those who dealt in drugs, according to Dayton police reports.
Gay has also been arrested more than once for possessing drugs and/or instruments for drug use, according to police reports.
Sims and Gay are the eighth and ninth homicide victims in the county this year. You can track the investigation into their deaths and all others since 2008 by clicking here.
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