CRIME & SAFETY

LIMA — James Lee on Friday returned to Allen County for the first time since May of this year, when he and another inmate at the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution made a daring escape. Lee, 47, and fellow inmate Bradley Gillespie escaped from the Lima prison late in the...

ALLEN COUNTY, OH (WLIO) - We are doing more with less and we're getting it done. That statement from Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia as he shares his concerns about staffing at the department. He says they are down 9 road deputies but they are finding ways to make sure...

The incidents in Lima, Ohio this week include the dismissal of drug charges against a man, a stabbing incident near the Greyhound bus station, and an increase in vehicle thefts.

Megan Craft, 30, of Lakeview, was charged with possession of drugs and identity fraud during a traffic stop Wednesday, Nov. 29. Officers of the Washington Township Police Department on patrol on SR 235 near County Road 13 about 3:40 p.m. initiated a traffic stop on Jonathon Navarre, 36, of Lakeview, for an expired license. Craft was a passenger in the vehicle.

Experience the joy of giving with Allen County law enforcement officers in the annual Cops for Kids Christmas delivery event. Watch as they partner with Santa, Mrs. Claus, and local organizations to deliver presents and spread holiday cheer to 40 deserving families.

LIMA — In what Assistant Allen County Prosecuting Attorney Kyle Thines termed “yet another case of senseless gun violence,” a Lima man with a history of criminal convictions was sentenced Friday to at least 14 years in prison for discharging shots into a Lima tattoo parlor. Jesse...

TROY — A Columbus man who committed countless thefts of tools and construction equipment across a 10-county-area, including Auglaize County, has been sentenced to over a decade in prison. Derek V. Grimm, 35, was sentenced to 12 years in prison by Judge Stacy M. Wall in the Miami County...

LIMA — A Lima man charged as a major drug offender after large quantities of narcotics were discovered during a task force search on his property earlier this year was sentenced Thursday to a minimum of 14 years in prison. Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Terri Kohlrieser sentenced...

LIMA — Allen County Sheriff Matt Treglia was pleased to report what he hopes will hold up as lower crime statistics for the county during the Allen County Republican Party luncheon Friday at the Lima Eagles. However, his department, like many, is continuing to work to keep those numbers down while also dealing with lower-than-desired manpower levels.

An Indian Lake High School student has died following a crash Friday evening on Township Road 240, outside Lakeview. Nolan Purk, 17, of Lakeview, was driving a westbound pickup truck about 7:30 p.m. when the vehicle traveled off the right side of the road and struck a tree, deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office report.

A convicted contract killer and his accomplice are going to prison for a shooting that left two dead in Columbus while the man prosecutors allege paid $10,000 for the assassination remains on the run. Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Chris Brown sentenced the shooter, Tyrone Copeland, 31, and his accomplice,...

TOLEDO — One of three individuals charged in the April 2022 death of Timothy Hovanec in Auglaize County has pleaded guilty in federal court to being an accessory in the disposal of Hovanec’s body. Anita Green and her daughter, Amanda Hovanec, both of Wapakoneta, and South Africa resident...

• The Lima Police Department has noticed an increase in thefts of specific makes and models of cars in the city. • Since October, over 20 reports of stolen or attempted stolen vehicles have been made, mostly involving newer models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

Discover the story of an escaped Allen Correctional inmate, indicted on a felony charge of escape, who is returning to Allen County to face new charges. Learn about the dramatic chase, capture, and the potential additional eight years to the sentence.

LIMA, OH (WLIO) - Now that winter temperatures have arrived, some may be trying to stay warm in their homes with alternative heat sources. The Lima Fire Department is asking folks to be careful when they use any type of space heaters to heat their homes. The National Fire Protection Association says heating equipment is a major cause of home fires in the United States. Local fire officials say not just any type of space heater is safe for the home.

OTTAWA — A Putnam County man who sold methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer this summer accepted a plea offer from prosecutors on Monday. Gregory Preston, 32, formerly of Cincinnati, was indicted in August by a Putnam County grand jury on two counts of aggravated trafficking in drugs, both felonies of the first degree. The indictment alleged that Preston on or about Aug. 4 sold meth to the undercover agent in an amount that exceeded 50 times the bulk amount.

WASHINGTON — An Ohio man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

CELINA — A Lima man was taken into custody Thursday in Mercer County, according to a release from the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office. According to the release, Mercer County Central Dispatch received a call from the OnStar system in a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. The caller was speaking about hearing gunshots and friends being killed. Deputies responded to the location of the truck at 12348 Dutton Road, Mendon and found Dwight L. Bonapart II, 41, of Lima sitting in the truck. As he exited, Bonapart made suggestions to the deputies that the homeowners were inside and possibly in danger.

WAPAKONETA — Authorities have not yet released the name of a person killed in a single-vehicle crash Wednesday evening in Auglaize County. The Wapakoneta post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol reported the crash happened at 5:58 p.m. Wednesday on Geyer Road, near Gutman Road in Clay Township in Auglaize County.

This week in Lima, Ohio, several incidents occurred that raised concerns about safety in the community. These incidents included a man being sentenced to prison for breaking into his mother's home and violating protection orders, a car crashing into a house resulting in injuries, a man being arrested after a brief foot chase during which a firearm was discharged, and a rash of car thefts prompting a warning from the police department.