Athens County/City police blotter includes alleged loose animals, multiple counts of theft and drug charges.
Athens County residents thought tigers were running rampant through the streets Tuesday afternoon.
The sheriff’s office sent out a news release that said it received multiple calls that a Columbus Zoo transportation vehicle had allegedly crashed and released tigers out into the streets of Athens County.
Athens County Sheriff Rodney Smith said in the release the crash was just a rumor and no exotic animals were loose in Athens County.
Instead of tigers, the office received confirmed calls Friday about multiple horses running loose on and near the roadway. The owner was contacted, who recovered the horses, according to police reports.
When the sheriff’s office wasn’t receiving animal-related calls, theft-related calls had deputies looking at evidence all week.
Allpower Equipment reported Friday that an unknown person entered the property and stole a 2015 Kubota Zero Turn mower valued at $4,267. The case is under investigation.
Other thefts included $370 worth of stolen items from a parked vehicle on South McDonald Street, as well as a paired theft of a deer feeder and a deer trail camera in Glouster.
The Athens Police Department received a call in reference to an act of vandalism. The caller said four or five individuals were spray painting the retaining wall next to her house. The suspects fled the property before officers arrived, according to the report.
Deputies also recovered heroin from an individual passed out behind the wheel of his car in the Chauncey Marathon Gas Station. According to a news release, the male had a needle in his lap, alongside an aluminum can that was used to cook heroin. After deputies woke the man, he tried to start his ignition, but his car was blocked by a sheriff’s office cruiser. He exited the vehicle and was treated at Athens County Emergency Medical Services, according to the report.
The Ohio University Police Department saw six marijuana cases this week, four underage drinking citations and three counts of theft.
A red women’s Huffy bicycle was stolen from the bike rack in Lot 90, a student was charged with theft after stealing someone’s backpack in Alden Library and an employee reported a small amount of cash missing from Jefferson Market, according to police reports.
Late this week, an employee found drug paraphernalia in Nelson Dining Hall after it was cleaned. The paraphernalia was placed into evidence and marked for destruction. The paraphernalia was not identified in the report.
@Fair3Julia
jf311013@ohio.edu
