What began as an investigation involving a burglar passed out in a garage took a surprising twist once officers finally arrived on the scene to investigate.
A call came into 9-1-1 at 4 am with a homeowner saying a man had passed out in her car in her garage. The woman said it was especially concerning since she had a gun under the seat of the car.
When Lawrence County Deputies got to the scene, Ironton Police already had the man in custody and in the back of a patrol car. They said the man had resisted arrest.
When deputies spoke to the homeowner, she showed them a pair of jumper cables found near the garage that she said did not belong to the family. The hatch to the family’s SUV was open, and multiple items of clothing were scattered around the garage, as well as the suspect’s ID and some items from the family’s garage freezer. The family said the man appeared to be intoxicated.
Officers learned the man had shown up on the property and knocked on the woman’s sister’s unit. He had asked for help and requested a bottle of water, but she told him to leave. The man complied, but the worried sister had spread the word about him, which prompted the homeowner to check to see if he was in the area.
On the way to the incident, the officer spotted a vehicle crashed in a ditch and later noted footprints leading from the crash area to the home.
Officers arrested the stranger for burglary, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and OVI.
