Top Dayton Area Local News Stories
Source: MedleyStory
The business owner said it's nothing new, break-ins at Cricket Wireless stores.
Officers responded to the Cricket Wireless store, 902 South Patterson Blvd., just after midnight Wednesday. Shortly after receiving an alarm call, police arrived to discover the front door of the business kicked in and the suspects gone.
"It's really very bad. We feel really like violated," said Mohammad Rihan, who owns the store. "We have a camera, so hopefully we can know who did it."
The burglars got away with cash from several registers and several phones from the business.
Rihan, who owns several other Cricket stores in the area, said the burglaries of his businesses are out of control. "We have break-in on the west side, break-in on the east side, break-in downtown," he said. He hopes this latest burglary will land the suspect or suspects in jail. "We have to put a stop to this nonsense."
This specific store has been the target of similar break-ins. Rihan said this is the second time it has been broken into.
Officers hope to obtain surveillance tape of the incident, so they can get a description of the suspects.
While there were officers on patrol in the area, the response time from the initial call from the alarm company likely gave the crooks enough time to escape, police said.
"This was somewhat of a surprise, but this business here is a little bit off the beaten path," said Sgt. Damon Castor.
The incident remains under investigation.
Published: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 03:16:17 -0500
A small fire inside Springboro Commons Retirement, 20 North Pioneer Blvd., had one person transported to the hospital last night.
The person was in good condition when she was removed from the burning structure, said Chris Vecchi, Assistant Fire Chief with Clearcreek Fire District.
The fire sparked around 10:50 p.m. Tuesday inside an individual apartment unit in the independent-living senior center. Fire officials said the fire was contained to the one apartment unit and caused minimal damage, but fires in senior centers present a different type of challenge for firefighters.
"Our fire crews are very skilled and proficient, especially in dealing with these types of situations, where we have potential fire victims that have limited mobility," said Vecchi.
The first-floor apartment unit exposed to the fire suffered some heat and smoke damage, but a cause is still under investigation, Vecchi said.
Published: Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:03:47 -0500
A Trotwood woman was dragged by a vehicle after seeing a person deliberately hitting her vehicle outside of her home, police said.
The woman was inside of her home at 749 Kelford Place Tuesday evening and saw a driver t-boning her vehicle, said Sgt. Fred Beck of Trotwood Police. The woman ran outside to confront the person, trying to get a driver’s license or license plate. The driver grabbed the woman partially into the vehicle and dragged her before letting her go, Beck said.
The woman was transported to a local hospital with road rash.
Trotwood Police are still investigating.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:00:12 -0500
Facebook does a lot of things for a lot of people but in Richmond, Ind. it gave one man a new life.
Jerry Wilde said he did not get his hopes too high when doctors said he needed a new kidney.
Wilde had a transplant twenty years ago, but had to have that kidney removed when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.
"Every doctor that hears that story says, ‘Wow,’ or, ‘Oh man, that's bad,’" Wilde said.
According to Wilde, he started dialysis but realized it is no way to live. Someone suggested he start to look for a donor. A friend suggested Facebook and started a page from him.
"I had lots of people try to be donors, dozens of people,” Wilde said. No one that matched could donate.
Two weeks later, he heard from Becky Melton, a complete stranger who said she wanted to see if she was a kidney donor match, Wilde said.
Melton had been praying to give her purpose in her life, Wilde said, “Then all of a sudden this post appears on her Facebook page.” Melton went to the doctor and Wilde found out the next day that a stranger was offering to donate a kidney.
Wilde said he and Melton hit it off after having dinner together.
The transplant surgery is scheduled for this Friday in Indianapolis.
Melton politely declined to be interviewed saying she’s not looking for recognition.
“It reminds you that lots of bad stuff happens but boy, there are some really great people in the world too,” Wilde said.
Wilde said a friend has started a second Facebook page for another friend in need of a kidney. View the "Find a kidney for Chad" page.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:54:17 -0500
Three people are in custody Tuesday night after it was discovered they were cooking methamphetamine in the basement of their Preble County rental home.
Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said deputies were called to the home at 1452 Leon Drive outside West Alexandria on a welfare check.
Two children live in the home along with three adults who are reportedly not related to each other. Someone reported possible drug activity in the home while the children were present.
When one of the female residents let deputies inside at about 2:30 p.m., they discovered a clandestine meth lab.
“In the basement we found quite a large amount of equipment and chemicals used in the manufacturing of methamphetamine,” Simpson said. The male resident was in the basement when deputies arrived and was armed with a handgun.
He and the two female residents were arrested. Simpson said numerous charges are pending for all three.
The two children, both under the age of 12, were met by a sheriff’s deputy when they got off the school bus and were picked up by a family member. Preble County Children Services were notified, authorities said.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and specially trained Middletown Police officers responded to safely remove the chemicals from the home.
A BCI official told News Center 7 that it looks like no drugs were being cooked on Tuesday, but the lab was operational within the past few days.
“Based on what we saw it looks like the children probably play in the basement,” Simpson said. He said the chemicals in question are dangerous to be around and officers going in the basement used special breathing equipment. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:14:09 -0500
A Kettering man was arrested over the weekend for allegedly assaulting a female with a guitar.
Seldon J. Tutt Jr., 28, was still in the Montgomery County Jail on Tuesday, Kettering police said.
He is charged with felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and his bail is set at $35,000.
Kettering police said Tutt assaulted the victim, an acquaintance, numerous times during the early morning hours of Feb. 18. It is unknown what sparked the assault in the hallway of the apartment building at 5544 Bigger Road.
The female victim was transported to a hospital where she was treated and released.
Tutt has no prior convictions for assault.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:28:45 -0500
The former president of a union representing Dayton Regional Transit Authority drivers has been indicted in federal court on one count of allegedly stealing union funds.
The indictment against Claude Huff, former president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1385, the local that represents an estimated 475 RTA employees, was handed up last week in the U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.
Huff resigned the presidency of the local unit in November 2010, a day before an ATU hearing on allegations that Huff overpaid himself from union funds.
In January 2011, Department of Labor investigators seized five years of financial records from Local 1385’s offices on Heid Avenue.
The indictment says that between Feb. 15, 2007, and Nov. 16, 2010, Huff “did embezzle, steal and unlawfully and willfully abstract and convert to his own use and the use of another the moneys, funds, securities, property and other assets of said labor organization in an amount exceeding $100,000.”
Local 1385 was placed in trusteeship under its international union in late 2010, with Rodney Richmond, a vice president with the international, taking over the local.
Richmond has not returned calls seeking comment in recent days. A message seeking comment with left with a spokesman at the union’s Washington, D.C., office.
A phone listing for Huff in Huber Heights has been disconnected.
Mark Donaghy, executive director of Dayton RTA, could not be reached for comment.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:40:51 -0500
A Troy woman who is accused of knocking on doors and telling the homeowner a hard luck story and then stealing from them appear in court on Tuesday.
Sara Metcalf appeared in court and had nothing to say to her victim as they watched.
She was arrested on November 11, 2011. She was sentenced to four years at the Ohio State Reformatory for Women in Marysville. She was sentenced on four counts of burglary, three counts of theft and one count of receiving stolen property.
Metcalf had nothing to say when she was given the chance in court by the judge. Nor, did her public defender or the assistant prosecutor.
The four victims, who were in the courtroom, also had nothing to say.
Metcalf was ordered to make restitution of $21,000 to one woman and $500 to another victim. Police said that jewelry was stolen from the homes.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:14:28 -0500
The attorney for a Fort Wayne, Ind., man told a Miami County judge Tuesday that his client is not guilty of attempted murder in connection with what Piqua police said was a drug deal gone bad.
Along with attempted aggravated murder, Aaron Tubbs, 22, is also facing four other charges, including aggravated robbery, having a weapon while under disability and trafficking in drugs, police said.
On December 5, 2011, Michael Butts, was critically injured when he was shot four times at close range while sitting in a car on Fountain Park in Piqua.
Tubbs was arrested a few weeks later in Fort Wayne. He has since been returned to Miami County.
A trial date has not been set yet.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:01:49 -0500
Although no threat of danger exists, Kenton Ridge High School was on lockdown Tuesday afternoon while sheriff's deputies investigated an assault incident there, a school official confirmed.
A Clark County sheriff's official told News Center 7 that several females fought, and a family member of one of the girls involved punched a glass wall at the principal's office, causing the glass to break.
Sheriff Gene Kelly said a lockdown should be normal procedure when any school violence occurs to keep other students away from it.
Tuesday's incident comes amid a News Center 7 investigation into bullying at Kenton Ridge High School. One of the female students involved in Tuesday's incident claims she has been bullied and threatened by students in the school since November.
The county prosecutor's office will be reviewing possible criminal charges against the students and the family member involved in Tuesday's incident.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:24:02 -0500
The body of a young woman found on an industrial site in East Dayton Tuesday afternoon has been identified as Tiffany Meek. People have been contacting WHIO-TV to report Meek missing from Trotwood since Thursday night.
Although Dayton homicide detectives were on scene at the property in the 4600 block of Valley Pike, responding Sgt. Mark Ponichtera said it remains unclear why the woman was dead but that a coroner's investigation will shed light on her cause of death.
The man who discovered the body near his property, Charles Jergens, said he saw what he thought was only clothing over an embankment, but took a closer look and found the woman lying face down. Police said she was found in high-density brush.
After trying to rouse the person by yelling, Jergens said he presumed she was deceased and called police. He said there was no obvious signs of what may have led to her death.
There are no obvious signs of trauma to the woman's body, but foul play has not been ruled out, police said. "You would not normally find someone out there walking out, it's difficult terrain to begin with," Ponichtera said. "This is something that does not appear to be a natural death."
Authorities believe she was lying face down for approximately 24 hours.
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Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:40:09 -0500
Smoke billowed from a two-story duplex on Illinois Avenue Tuesday afternoon in Dayton following a fire that can trace its origins back to a refrigerator, according to the house’s owner.
Marvin Davis has owned the residence at 243 Illinois Ave. for 35 years. One side of the duplex is occupied and the other is vacant, authorities said.
Davis said the fire began on the vacant side of the duplex. He said he plugged in a refrigerator Tuesday morning and it was running without any problems.
“I came back and (heard) the house was on fire,” he said. “I ran in there and it was the refrigerator on fire.”
Dayton fire officials around 1 p.m. Tuesday said they could not yet confirm an origin. Upon arriving on scene, efforts focused on combating a fire that was quickly maturing because of heavy afternoon winds.
“What we have to do is protect whatever is downwind,” said Assistant Fire Chief Jeffrey Payne. “If that’s a house, then that’s where we’ll place our fire screens. We’re going to attack that fire head on.”
No one was seriously injured in the fire. Those living on the opposite side of the dwelling were evacuated safely.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:20:13 -0500
The Auditor's Office has issued a finding against those who run a Dayton charter school and the management company that oversees its finances.
According to the audit for Richard Allen Academy Schools, proposed findings for recovery amount to $919,359 for illegally spending public money, such as spending $900 on alcohol at a Christmas party.
Conflicts of interest were also noted in the audit, including the hiring of relatives.
In January, $36,466 in repayments were made to the schools, according to the audit.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:51:52 -0500
A Dayton man has been arrested in connection with a gross sexual imposition charge involving a female juvenile relative under the age of 10.
Mark Allen Reeder, 37, of Coventry Road, was arrested around 2 p.m. Monday. He is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail.
The alleged act or acts may taken place anywhere from the past couple of weeks to several months, according to Dayton police.
“It’s very preliminary right now as far as the investigation is concerned,” said Sgt. Larry Tolpin.
Reeder currently faces one count of gross sexual imposition, a felony offense.
“At that point, depending on further disclosure, we may or may not have more counts,” Tolpin said.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:28:27 -0500
A complaint of public nuisance has been filed against a Harrison Twp. homeowner and a tenant based on evidence that chronic illegal drug activity and prostitution occurred at the home, according to a news release.
The action continued after the home owner, Jerry W. Miller, was advised of the problems and failed to take any measures to correct them, according to the release. Roger S. Carter is the tenant of the home.
The Common Pleas Court issued a temporary injunction today and ordered the property at 2714 Boulder Ave. closed, according to the release.
"The residents of this neighborhood deserve to have a peaceful and crime-free area in which to live," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said in the release.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:49:10 -0500
Kapp Drive in Huber Heights is closed after a water main broke Tuesday morning.
The road is closed between Harshmanville Road and Key West Drive, according to reports.
Crews have been working on the break since 9 a.m., although the street is not flooded.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:29:52 -0500
DELAWARE, Ohio -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said today the state has set a new record for residents with a concealed handgun license.
Almost 12,000 CHLs were issued for the busiest fourth quarter in the program's eight-year history, DeWine said in a release.
"Demand was up 12 percent compared to the same period a year earlier," the release said. By the end of 2011, approximately 265,083 Ohio residents were licensed to carry concealed handguns. The AG's office said that number will likely approach 300,000 by the end of 2012.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:06:16 -0500
A male driver was ejected from a car after an early Tuesday morning crash at 4751 Trenton-Franklin Road. Police said the car hit a pole and flipped over.
A female passenger fled the scene on foot after the accident. She has several outstanding warrants. Deputies later captured her.
The man was taken to the Atrium Medical Center for treatment.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 06:01:56 -0500
Route 35 at Miller-Williams Road west of Eaton has reopened after an early-morning crash shut the road down for several hours.
The road was closed for several hours following the crash after it happened around 1 a.m.
Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the tanker, driven by Russell E. Nesbitt, 54, of Indianapolis, was travelling westbound on U.S. 35 when it went over railroad tracks and then went off the right side of the road. The load shifted, and the truck went into a ditch. The tanker was carrying 24 tons, or 48,000 pounds of coal tar. About 50 gallons leaked out, according to OSP.
The Environmental Protection Agency responded to the scene, and the hazardous material was contained by the Eaton Fire Department.
A second tanker was brought in to haul the remaining coal tar away.
It's believed that the semi had just left AK Steel in Middletown before the crash, OSP said. The truck driver told troopers that he swerved to avoid hitting a deer.
The driver was not injured.
Published: Tue, 21 Feb 2012 05:21:45 -0500
A woman was injured Monday night when a truck forced her off the street and into a house on South Smithville Road.
Dayton police Sgt. Eric Sheldon said officers are searching for the driver of the truck who fled the accident on foot.
An initial investigation indicates that the truck was turning from Reading Road onto South Smithville at about 10:40 p.m. when it collided with a northbound car driven by the woman.
Her vehicle left the roadway and smashed into the front porch of the house, causing minor damage to the porch. The elderly female driver suffered minor injuries and was taken to Miami Valley Hospital as a precaution.
Police were told that the male driver of the truck fled west through a car wash parking lot. Officers were still searching for him at 11:30 p.m.
“It’s possible it’s the registered owner of the vehicle so we are checking out that as well,” Sheldon said. Police were headed to the address listed on the vehicle’s registration to see if the man had run home.
We will bring you details as they become available. Stay with whiotv.com.
Published: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:59:56 -0500
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