Portsmouth, Ohio officers answered a report of a child for sale and took part in a dramatic bridge rescue on Monday. They also intervened to help a family in crisis and investigated stolen guns. We break down their manic Monday.
Strange Happenings
- Just before 1 am, a caller reported he heard someone messing with the door of his 17th street home. When officers checked the scene, they didn’t find anyone.
- AT 1:14 am, a caller reported a fence on fire on Mound Street. It turned out to be a trashcan fire.
Alarming Situations
- Police checked out a rear motion alarm at the Fishbowl on Campbell at 1:15 am.
- At 5 am, they received a report of an alarm at the Dialysis Center which they were later told to disregard.
- A basement motion alarm sounded at a McKinley Avenue Home at 7:30 am. It was later canceled.
Hey, That’s My Stuff
- A caller reported bikes stolen from Mabert Road just before 9 am. Police took information for a report.
- Officers responded to a Scioto Trail car wash at 11 am for a report that a vacuum and other machines were broken into.
- Just after noon, a 20th Street caller reported several items stolen from a truck. Police took information for a report.
- At 12:30 pm, a construction company reported several items stolen from a truck including a drill and the battery from a scissor lift. Two witnesses said they saw a man put the items into a black truck and take off. He got a picture of the truck’s tags. Police added that information to their report.
Help’s On The Way
Police offered advice to help out a troubled child. The child had gone missing around 8:30 pm the night before and was later found hiding under a car in an alley. The father reported the child had been struggling with mental health issues.
An officer was able to advise the father about a new program that could be of help to the child and connect the father with a counselor who came to the home.
Shoeless and Angry
Just after 9:30 am, a caller reported a shoeless man lying on the ground yelling on 8th Street. Officers took him into custody.
High Street Beating
Officers answered a call to High Street just after 10 am. A witness reported several men beating up an older man. A sheriff’s deputy broke up the fight. No one involved wanted to file charges.
Stolen Guns
A man notified police that three rifles were stolen from his 7th Street home just after 10:30 am. He said someone kicked in the back door of his home and stole 3 rifles.
Two of the rifles were pellet guns and the other was a .22. He suspected a neighbor but didn’t have any solid proof.
Child For Sale?
A man contacted police at 11 am to report that his mother-in-law was threatening to sell his child. Upon further investigation, police discovered he has a child with a woman who has a drug problem.
The woman’s mother offered her daughter money to bring her the child. Police said it appears the grandmother was attempting to protect the child’s interests.
Stealing from a 91-year-old
Police took information for a report of a theft of $19,000 from a 91-year-old Grandview Avenue resident.
Kids In Need?
At 6 pm, police responded to a request from Children Services for a welfare check on two teen boys. A caller claimed they were being abused. Police said there were no teenagers at the home but the kids that did live there seemed to be fine and healthy.
Officers did another welfare check on 8th Street just after 7 pm. A caller found a shoeless boy in the street and returned him to his parents. Police said the kid was fine but did advise the parents to keep an eye on him.
Saved By Bystanders
Bystanders apparently stopped a man from leaping from the Grant Bridge just after 7:30 pm. Officers found him standing on the opposite side of the railing with two people holding him.
Police helped pull the man back across and followed the ambulance to the hospital. Seems like that was a good idea. The man told medics he’d thought bout jumping out of the ambulance until he saw the officer following the vehicle.