Portsmouth Police say a homeless woman is accused of stealing a dog straight out of someone’s yard in the early morning hours Tuesday.
Officers were called to a home on 6th Street around 3:30 a.m. after a resident reported that their dog had been stolen right from the yard.
About an hour later, police spotted Kimberly Stephens, who lists her address as homeless, near 6th and Campbell Streets. When officers approached her, she took off running — but didn’t get far. Officers quickly caught up and took her into custody.
From the Streets to the Station
Stephens was initially taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC) for evaluation instead of being booked into jail. Officers filed a report and served her with summonses for theft, burglary, and obstruction of official business.
Later that evening, however, Stephens was booked into the Scioto County Jail after officers discovered she had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Court History
Stephens appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court the following morning. The court ordered her to remain in custody until her preliminary hearing on October 23.
Records show Stephens has a history of similar offenses. She was arrested for criminal trespass back on September 11 but failed to appear in court on October 2, prompting the court to issue an arrest warrant.
