Portsmouth police were called to the St. Francis Center on Stockham Lane after an employee arrived for work and found a shirtless juvenile inside the chapel acting strangely.
An alarm had gone off hours earlier.
By the time officers arrived, they located the teen sitting in the chapel with his head down on a table.
He was detained while additional officers cleared the rest of the building.
What they found raised even more questions.
Police discovered two unsecured doors, including one that had been propped open near the chapel and another leading into the basement.
The employee told officers she had made sure the doors were locked before leaving the previous day.
There were no signs of forced entry.
Nothing appeared damaged.
Nothing was reported stolen.
And Catholic Social Services, which operates programs at the center, told police it did not want to pursue criminal charges.
Teen Had Been Gone for Three Days
Officers soon learned the situation was much bigger than an unwanted visitor in a building.
The juvenile had several injuries that police said came from an earlier incident, so Portsmouth Fire Department medics were called.
He was taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center while an officer followed.
Police then began trying to locate a parent or guardian.
Eventually they reached the boy’s father.
And that uncovered another troubling detail.
The father told officers the teen had been gone from home for three days.
Police said the disappearance had not been reported to law enforcement.
Dad Had to Be Persuaded to Pick Him Up
Officers asked the father to respond to the hospital.
According to the police report, officers had to explain what could happen if he refused to take custody before he finally agreed to come to SOMC.
The boy was ultimately released to his father.
Police also contacted the juvenile’s probation officer and advised her that the teen was at the hospital and was believed to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
The probation officer told police she was not going to have the juvenile incarcerated and did not respond to the hospital.
So no criminal charges were filed.
No juvenile detention placement followed.
And the teen went home with his father.
More Than a Trespassing Call
The St. Francis Center serves as a community resource hub, connecting families with Catholic Social Services and other local programs.
In this case, staff came to work expecting an ordinary morning and instead found a vulnerable juvenile inside the chapel.
Police found no evidence he had forced his way in or stolen anything.
The center chose not to prosecute.
But officers still had to deal with an injured teen, possible substance use, a three-day absence that had never been reported, a parent who initially did not appear eager to take custody, and a probation officer who declined detention.
That leaves one uncomfortable question hanging over the whole call:
When a troubled kid is missing for three days, shows up injured and under the influence, and nobody has reported him missing, who exactly is making sure he is okay?
