The Grinch isn’t only found in Whoville, a Portsmouth, Ohio thief stole Christmas lights right off a tree in an Offnere Street yard. Portsmouth Police also dealt with an out-of-control mentally ill man who refused help, and a report of a woman threatening to throw a baby into traffic. We break down the highlights from the PPD crime log.
Domestic Violence
Just after midnight, officers responded to a Jackson Avenue address after a woman said her boyfriend hit her several times. Police took him into custody.
Find My Phone
A woman called police just after 4 am to report her phone missing from her apartment in the Woodbine apartments.
When officers arrived 10 minutes later, she told them she found the phone in her bedroom.
Suspicious Vehicle
A Robinson Avenue caller reported an unknown van with no tags just before 9 am. The owner said she was attempting to find someone to jump the vehicle. Officers advised her that if the van wasn’t moved by noon, it would be towed.
Ketchup, Mustard, and Buses
Just after 9 am, officers responded to Sciotoville Community School for a report about bus vandalism. On Friday, just before 1 am, 3 people broke into the school. They got inside Bus #8 and covered it with condiments.
When the alarm went off, they fled. The school had a video of the incident and one of the kids involved posted about their involvement on social media. The school said the bus took about two hours to clean up.
No Place To Go
At 5:44 pm, the youth group leader from a local church contacted police about a child with seemingly no place to go.
A woman contacted the youth leader to say a kid that rides the church bus with her daughter showed up on the porch and said she couldn’t go home and needed a place to go. The woman didn’t want to get involved, so she called the youth leader.
Officers got in touch with the child’s grandmother who reported the kid left home earlier in the day to visit a friend. The child has no contact with their mother and their father lives in Sciotoville. Police took information for a report.
You Have To Go, Too
The owner of a Mound Street home contacted police about an unwanted visitor. She said the boyfriend of the previous renter was inside the house. The previous renter had been evicted.
Police found no one inside but noted the walls had been spray-painted and items inside the home destroyed. They advised her to change the locks, take pictures of the damage, and contact her attorney.
Maybe It Was The Grinch?
A thief stole the lights right off a Christmas tree on Offnere Street just after 4 pm. A woman reported that an unknown man took the Christmas lights and extension cord right off the tree in her front yard.
She requested extra patrols. It’s unknown if the suspect was the Grinch.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
- Police answered a call to Charles Street at 6:32 pm for a report of people screaming and fighting. An officer checked the area but didn’t hear any fighting.
- At 6:43 pm, a 20th street caller reported a man, woman, and child fighting. Officers spoke to a man with a child. He said the kids were just out back playing loudly. Police advised them to keep it down.
Meanwhile At Speedway
Police were called to Speedway on Gallia for a report of a known shoplifter in the store. The man had two women with him.
By the time police arrived, he’d left the scene.
Shirtless in the Grass
Just before 7 pm, officers received a report of a shirtless man rolling around in the grass in Tracy Park. The man was also flipping people off.
A few minutes later, another caller reported the man had moved across the street. Police caught up with him at about 7:13 pm. He did not appear to be intoxicated but he did show signs of mental illness. Since he did not threaten to harm himself or others, officers advised him not to yell at people and let him go on his way.
At 7:52 pm, a report came in from 11th street about the same shirtless man flipping people off and cursing. When questioned, he knew the name of the President and the month. He did not express a desire to harm himself or others.
Police said that since he didn’t want help, they could not force him to get medical treatment. They advised him to find a place to go and go to bed.
Under The Influence
Officers responded to a report of an overdose at the Woodbine Apartments at 7:26 pm. The PFD administered Narcan to a woman. She refused further treatment. Her family said they would look after her.
Threatening To Harm A Baby
At 8:21 pm, a caller reported a disturbing incident on Gallia. A man and woman were walking East in the WB lane of Gallia. The pair were fighting. A caller said the woman was carrying a baby and threatened to throw it into traffic.
Officers were unable to locate them.