What started as a frightened call for help from a woman at the Marathon Station in Wheelersburg turned into a domestic violence arrest early this week.
Dispatchers said the woman was crying, hard to understand, and possibly impaired when she reported that her ex was following her on foot.
When officers arrived, the situation got even more complicated. The man involved told police he’d been assaulted too. After sorting through conflicting stories, officers decided both parties could face charges and began searching for the woman.
In the end, police arrested Robert Murta on a domestic violence charge. He was booked into the Scioto County Jail and later appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court.
The judge issued mutual protection orders — one keeping Murta away from the woman and another to prevent further contact from her — before releasing him on his own recognizance. Murta is due back in court on December 1.
Domestic calls like this one remain among the most unpredictable and dangerous situations police face — and one of the most common they respond to.
