What started as a late-night neighborly plea for help on High Street ended days later with an arrest a few blocks away and a familiar face back in front of a judge.
Portsmouth police were called to High Street around 2 a.m. after a neighbor reported that a woman had run to his home saying her ex-boyfriend had been sneaking into her house, harassing her, and ransacking the place. The caller told dispatch the woman was frantic and needed someone to intervene.
When officers arrived, a man immediately took off running but was caught and detained near 17th and High streets. Police spoke with the woman, who declined to pursue charges. Officers noted she appeared to be under the influence at the time and said she reported the man had been staying at her residence on and off for about four months.
The woman told officers she simply wanted the man to stay away and not return to the property. Police advised the man he was not permitted to come back, and no charges were filed from that incident.
Two days later, officers were called just a few blocks away to the Royal Inn for a report of a man standing in front of the hotel with his pants down, yelling for help. Officers quickly determined it was the same man involved in the earlier High Street call.
This time, police made an arrest. The man was taken into custody for public indecency and booked into the Scioto County Jail. He appeared in court the following day and was released on his own recognizance, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for January 6.
Court records also show the same man had been arrested earlier on December 10 on a theft charge. He was likewise released on his own recognizance, with that case also set for a January 6 hearing.
Between the back-to-back cases, it appears the man has a busy early January ahead. We’ll be keeping an eye on the court docket.
