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Lake Twp. to appeal drug case
RESS December 16, 2013
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Serving i Th The E Eastern astern t Maumee M Bay Communities Since 1972
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By Larry Limpf News Editor news@presspublications.com
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The prospect of energy independence in North America is within our sights. Tom Nimbley, CEO of PBF Energy See page 11
Northwood tree lighting
The City of Northwood recently held a tree lighting ceremony at the city administration building. The event included Christmas carols from Northwood High School students. Residents were asked to bring a non-perishable item for the city's annual Christmas food basket program. Pictured, nineteen month old Molly Yant gets a closer look at the tree with some help from her mother, Meagan Yant. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)
Oak Harbor
Fourth man arrested in violent break-in By Cynthia L. Jacoby Special to The Press The fourth man arrested in connection with a violent home burglary in Oak Harbor appeared in court for the first time this week. Paul Thebeaux, 26, of Oak Harbor, appeared before Ottawa County Municipal Court Magistrate Lou Wargo on Monday to answer to three charges of aggravated burglary. Wargo granted him a court appointed attorney and set his next court date for Dec. 13. Prior to setting bail, Wargo asked Sgt. Robert Paulsen of the Oak Harbor Police Department to make a statement. “We ask for a cash bond,” Paulsen said. “The victims in this case are highly fearful for their lives.” Thebeaux also spoke. He said he realized that he would not get a recognizance bond but asked that a reasonable bond be set. Wargo set the bond at $80,000 with no 10 percent provision for each felony charge and $8,000 and $2,000 for other pending misdemeanor charges, including trespassing. Thebeaux was picked up Sunday in the Fremont area. The details of the arrest were not available.
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They gathered up the phones and smashed them with a skillet
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A court case involving a traffic stop on I-280 by Lake Township police appears headed to the Ohio Supreme Court. Mark Hummer, township police chief, said Wednesday he’s conferred with the Wood County prosecutor’s office about the decision and a review by the Supreme Court will be sought. Drugs seized from the motorist during the traffic stop on I-280 should have been excluded from evidence under Ohio law, the Sixth District Court of Appeals has ruled in partially overturning a November 2012 decision of a lower court. Terrance Brown, 27, of Detroit, had pled no contest in Wood County Common Pleas Court and was sentenced to a mandatory term of three years in prison for possession of 30 mg. of oxycodone, a second degree felony, after being stopped by a township police officer for a marked lane violation. The appeals court recently ruled, however, that while Brown’s Fourth Amendment rights were not violated because the officer had probable cause to initiate the stop, the officer violated state law by making the stop on an interstate highway outside the township’s jurisdiction. In its 11-page decision, the appeals court noted Ohio Revised Code leaves traffic enforcement on interstate highways within the jurisdiction of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and sheriff departments. “Further, no extenuating circumstances were presented to justify an extraterritorial stop by township police officers for this type of traffic violation,” the appeals court ruled. “Therefore, we find the extraterritorial stop was unreasonable under the Ohio Constitution.” The officer was watching southbound traffic on I-280 in March 2011 and began following another vehicle before noticing the passenger side tires of Brown’s vehicle cross over the white line for about 100 feet, according to court records. The officer continued to follow Brown’s vehicle and
He was the last person sought in connection with the invasion of the residence near the central section of Oak Harbor about 3:30 a.m. Dec. 5. Three others charged with three counts each of aggravated burglary were in custody by the next day. Travis Edwards, 19, of Port Clinton, Cody McClanahan, 19, of Oak Harbor and Steven Ryf, 22, of Fremont, are currently behind bars at the Ottawa County Detention Facility. They had initial hearings last week in municipal court and were to return beginning Friday for further proceedings. The hearings will be to determine if there is probable cause to turn the cases over to an Ottawa County grand jury, Wargo said. The four apparently knew the victims but did not make any attempts to hide their identities during the break-in, said Oak Harbor Police Chief Steve Weirich.
Paulsen refused to give the street address for the residence or victims’ names because he said the victims still worry about threats received that night. According to police, four family members, all males of various ages, were home when the attack happened. One person was asleep on the couch when suddenly the silence was broken by pounding at the front door and yelling. “It was the father who eventually opened the door,” Paulsen said. Once he did, the officer said, one of the assailants barged in, threw him up against the wall and began beating on him. “They threw him against the wall so hard it broke the glass in the door area,” Paulsen continued. One other house member was seriously injured and another had a knife put his throat, according to police. The foursome reportedly took some DVDs and had demanded $1,200 from the family, which they didn’t get. They also broke a television, window and all the cell phones they could find before departing. “They gathered up the phones and smashed them with a skillet,” Paulsen recounted. Police didn’t know anything about the
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