A frightening scene unfolded in West Portsmouth after a care coordinator from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital called 911 to report a 13-year-old boy violently attacking his grandmother and destroying property inside their home.
Emergency Call from Cincinnati
According to dispatch logs, the hospital care coordinator told Scioto County 911 that the child—already under their supervision—was in immediate crisis, kicking his grandmother in the stomach and tearing apart the home.
Local deputies rushed to the scene to intervene and ensure everyone’s safety.
No Local Juvenile Detention Center
After the situation was brought under control, Juvenile Probation approved detention for the teen. Deputies took him to the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office for fingerprinting before transporting him to the Lawrence County Juvenile Detention Center—the closest facility available.
Scioto County does not have its own juvenile detention center, nor does it currently operate a local in-patient mental health facility for youth, leaving agencies scrambling for placements when crises like this occur.
Bigger Problem, Bigger Questions
The fact that the child’s care is being coordinated out of Cincinnati, more than 100 miles away, underscores a growing issue across rural Ohio: limited access to youth behavioral health services.
Local officials say that while law enforcement often responds first to these emergencies, mental health professionals and safe facilities are desperately needed to prevent long-term trauma for both children and families.
