Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012

Intruder may have entered wrong house by mistake

By Shelley Grieshop
CELINA - The suspect in a reported home invasion Tuesday morning may have mistakenly entered the wrong residence, Celina Police Chief Dave Slusser said this morning.
The unidentified man, who remains at large, may have been drunk, under the influence of drugs or suffering a mental condition when he entered a woman's bedroom on Leona Street at 12:53 a.m., Slusser said.
"He may have just walked into the wrong house," he added.
The back door of the home in the 300 block was unlocked and led directly to the victim's bedroom, Slusser said. The suspect reportedly walked into the room where the woman was sleeping and began to undress.
The police theory is the result of further interviews with the victim, Slusser said. She told police the suspect behaved like "he was supposed to be there." However, police aren't certain of the man's motive, he added.
The woman said she awoke to find the partially undressed 6-foot, 250-pound man standing in her room. She asked him why he was there and told him to leave. The suspect tried to redress as the woman ran to her son's bedroom for help. The son and the suspect briefly confronted one another before the intruder fled and the woman summoned police.
The suspect - described as having a stocky build, dark hair and partial beard - left behind a long-sleeved, grey and red-striped shirt with "Property of Polo Jeans" written across the number 67. It is being analyzed for evidence.
Police used a K-9 unit to track the man through the neighborhood but were unsuccessful. Officers believe he traveled through backyards and in between homes in the area.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact police at 419-586-2345.
Slusser said regardless of the suspect's intent in this case, residents should remain vigilant by locking their homes at night and when they are away.
Additional online story on this date
Officials of proposed U.S. 127 fertilizer plant talk with neighbors, state
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Subscriber and paid stories on this date
CELINA - The city has cut down trees on a Grand Lake Road property with the hopes of attracting a new business, mayor Jeff Hazel said this week.
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CELINA - No one showed up for a public hearing Tuesday to contest the county's plan to sell a small tract of its land with a sanitary sewer lift station and drainage tiles.
CELINA - The county's historical society museum is getting a facelift.
Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday hired a company to paint and make repairs on the 116-year-old building at 130 W. Market St. The work is expected to begin soon.
CELINA - The county is seeking contractors for a nearly $100,000 project to reconstruct a portion of Howick Road.
Mercer County Commissioners on Tuesday set 1:30 p.m. May 17 as the date to open sealed bids for the work on the 2.5-mile stretch between U.S. 127 and state Route 197.
WAPAKONETA - A newly organized development group presented a plan of action to maximize results within county offices to Auglaize County Commissioners on Tuesday.
CELINA - Police are seeking a man who broke into a van on Monday morning, stole credit cards and minutes later attempted to use them to buy a TV at Walmart.
MINSTER - The next phase of work on the Miami and Erie Canal should begin within several weeks, according to reports presented to Minster Village Council on Tuesday night.
CELINA - Unique lamps may brighten downtown Celina for a contest later this year.
Members of the Celina Merchants Association on Tuesday decided to organize a new activity as a way to attract people downtown and to the association's new facebook page.
FORT RECOVERY - Fifteen students are enrolled in the new Bright Future Daycare and Preschool, which opened last month at 701 Industrial Drive.
Owne
The winner in Tuesday's area sporting events was Mother Nature, as lightning and moderate rain caused games to be suspended early or halted before any action could take place.
Wright State University-Lake Campus will begin its postseason on Friday at 1 p.m. in the Ohio Regional College Conference baseball tournament held at Beavers Field in Lancaster.