It was a wild Wednesday and Thursday for Portsmouth Police. Just reading the police logs was exhausting. I can’t imagine how the officers felt. From a report of a baby traded for pot to an escaped psychiatric patient to a wanna-be Bonnie and Clyde, the calls just kept coming. Plus we’ve got the resolution to that missing mom and daughter that was all over social media. These are just the highlights, if you want the full unfiltered police reports, become a VIP member of SCDN. Click here to learn how it works.
Stranger Things
Wednesday
Just after the stroke of midnight a McConnell Avenue man told police he kept hearing and seeing strange things around his property. He also told officers his car was moving on its own.
Suspicious Minds
Wednesday
- A person flagged an officer down on Walnut Street just after 1 am to report that a guy wearing khakis and a hat was attempting to rob people.
- Just after 2 am, police were called to 11th Street for a report of a man screaming, hitting the ground, and running back and forth. The caller said they heard a woman scream near Mitchell Brothers Tires and that the man had run from that area.
Thursday
At 10 am, police received a report of a man with bicycle transporting boxes wrapped in a blanket on 17th Street and Grandview. He ditched the boxes and bike behind the tennis courts. Officers will keep an eye out for him.
Young Guns
Wednesday
Four units responded to a report of a person with a gun on Summit Street at 2:38 am. The witness said that a passenger in the back of a dark gray Explorer held a gun on two people. The vehicle left and the people hoofed it.
- Officers caught up the suspects on 4th Street. Both were taken into custody.
- 20-year-old Stephanie Comer was booked in the Scioto County Jail and charged with carrying a concealed weapon, improperly handling a firearm, and contributing to the delinquency of a child.
- The child in question was the young man with her. The unnamed young man was picked up and transported to the Ross County Juvenile Detention Center.
- The car was towed. Now, there’s a lot more to this story. So, I’ve put in a request to the PPD for the full report and I’ll have that for you tomorrow.
ODs & Drugs
Wednesday
- Officers were called to Mabert Road just after 8:30 am for a report of a woman overdosing.
- Just before noon, police found a woman slumped over on the sidewalk on Young Street. The asked her to leave and she appeared to be okay.
Thursday
- At 1:22 am, officers responded to an OD on 17th Street. The man had already been given Narcan. He refused medical help.
- Police were called to an overdose on 10th Street just before 1 pm. Everything was under control by the time officers arrived.
Escaped Psych Patient
Wednesday
- A terrifying scene unfolded on Farley Court. A woman called police at 9:39 am to say a man had broken into her apartment and was attempting to hang himself in an upstairs bedroom.
- Officers were able to cut him down. The woman then admitted that she’d allowed her child’s father to stay in the apartment. She got upset that he wasn’t paying attention to her so she asked him to leave and he freaked out. She claimed there had been domestic violence.
- The man was taken to SOMC for a mental evaluation.
- Officers expressed concern over the fact that the apartment was filthy and that the man had coughed all over the officers when they were removing the noose.
- While being transported, the man who attempted suicide managed to escape from the ambulance. He ran off into the woods behind the hospital.
- A few minutes later someone saw the man hiding behind Bob & Floyd’s on Chillicothe Street. However, he was gone by the time police arrived.
Baby Sold For Pot?
Wednesday
Police received an alarming report of possible child abuse just after 12:30 pm. The caller reported some serious suspicions about a 15-month-old girl.
She told officers:
- The baby’s vaginal area appears to have been “messed with.”
- 15-month-old child still can’t eat from a spoon
- The mother keeps a filthy house
- She was told by mom to “Punch the baby in the chest” if it cried.
- The child’s mother had sold a 3-month baby for pot
The woman gave officers the name of the family she claims bought the baby.
Police informed Children Services. Then they went looking for the mom. She wasn’t home when they stopped by. But the baby’s great-grandparents stopped by at the same time. They had been asked to come get the child.
Thursday
At 9:12 am, police spoke to a friend of the person who is alleged to have the baby. She confirmed that he did have an adopted child that is three months old. However, she says the mother just didn’t want to raise the baby and gave it to the man and his family.
Officers will continue to investigate the report of the alleged sale of a baby.
That’s An Unusual Looking Boat
Wednesday
- Just after 1 pm, police were called down to the river on a report of a vehicle submerged at the Court Street Landing. Turns out it was a truck that rolled in back in April.
- Police received multiple reports on the truck during the day. Around 5:30 pm, they attempted to make contact with the owner.
Thursday
A tow truck came to check out the submerged truck at 6:30 am. It was determined that it couldn’t be removed until the river goes down.
Where’s My Stuff?
Wednesday
- Police were called to 7th Street just before 2pm. The caller said a friend’s boyfriend had helped himself to gold jewelry, a vape pen, a speaker, and $30 in cash. Police took a report.
- At 2:30 pm, PPD got a report of a vehicle break-in on 16th Street. Missing was hand sanitizer, papers, and a wallet.
- Just after 3 pm another vehicle break-in attempt was reported just a block away.
- Ten minutes after that, officers got a report of a man pulling on car doors on Grant street. He was gone when they arrived.
- At 11:37 pm, a Harrison Street woman reported that a man broke into her vehicle and stole $5 in change and her cigarette lighter.
Thursday
- At 3:16 am a woman discovered 2 people inside her vehicle on 5th Street. Police arrested two suspects. The stolen property included a pair gray Vans valued at $78.
- Just before 5 am police found a stolen vehicle sitting in the middle of Kiff Street. They brought the owner to the scene.
- At 5:40 am, a Wilson Avenue man reported his Toyota stolen. He left his keys in the car.
- Just after 1 pm, police were called to Wayne Avenue for a report of a man stealing from PMHA maintenance. He left on a bicycle.
- At 7:52 pm, police were called to 11th Street for a report of multiple items taken from multiple vehicles.
- Before you lose faith in humanity, know that just one minute later, someone reported finding a wallet in Mound Park. Police retrieved the wallet.
Children in Danger
Wednesday
Just after 5 pm, a woman reported her 2-year-old son missing in the Grandview Avenue area. He was wearing ninja underwear. She found him on Grant Street just 5 minutes later.
Thursday
- Just after midnight, a juvenile called police to report his father had kicked him in their 13th Street apartment. He believed his fingers were broken. Police contacted CPS and took a report.
- Police were called to help Portsmouth Ambulance just before 3 am. A child was in need of medical treatment but the parents were refusing to allow transport. When police arrived, the parents consented.
- At 7:22 pm, police went to Mabert Road to assist Children Services in a welfare check. The child was taken into custody. A woman and her boyfriend were advised of the consequences of interfering with custody.
DOA
Thursday
Sadly, just before 7 am, a Sunrise Avenue man woke to find that his wife had passed during the night. She had been unwell. There are no signs of foul play.
Dogfight
Thursday
- An incident with a dog let to a disturbance on Highland Avenue just before 10 am. One neighbor said he was walking down the street when a neighbor’s dog came up to him and began to act aggressively.
- He went to the neighbor’s house and tried to talk to the owner but she threatened to kill him and fight his kids.
- The neighbor tells a different story. She says he banged on the door, called her racial slurs, and claimed the dog had attacked him. She said she’d seen the whole thing and the dog didn’t attack anyone.
- Both parties had witnesses that backed up their completely opposite stories. Police advised the woman to keep her dog leashed or in a fenced yard.
Grandma Attacked
Thursday
Just after noon, officers were called to 29th Street for a report of a man throwing a razor blade at his grandmother. Family members say he has mental problems. Turns out he also has warrants. Officers took him into custody.
What’s That Smell?
Thursday
Police responded to Grant Street at 2:37 pm for a report of people inside a strange building and a strange smell coming from the house.
Turns out one of the people inside the place had a warrant. He was arrested.
Grandma’s Worried
Thursday
Worried grandparents called officers just after 9 pm to report that they hadn’t seen or heard from their daughter or granddaughter in two days.
The daughter is 30 and hasn’t been getting along with her mother. The grandparents admit she left of her own free will, but grandma is concerned about the safety of the five-year-old granddaughter.
The grandmother told police she thinks the mother wants to keep the child all to herself. The grandparents are attempting to gain custody of the child.
Police say there’s no appearance of foul play. This incident has prompted several social media posts trying to locate the woman and her child.
Just after midnight on Thursday, officers located the woman and her daughter safe in a room at the Royal Inn on Kendall. Police said they received consent from the mom to search the room and found nothing that would cause harm to the child or anyone else.
It was agreed that the child would be allowed to go stay with her father.
