Metamora man in custody after violent episode Friday night in Henry County

LIBERTY CENTER — A local man was taken into custody after allegedly striking a house near here Friday several times with his vehicle during a domestic incident, then causing minor injuries to two investigating sheriff’s deputies.

Mark Szabo, 47, Metamora, was being held Monday in the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio on 24 charges — including nine felonies — related to the incident around 7:30 p.m. Friday on Henry County Road W in Liberty Township.

A press release issued by the sheriff’s office noted that deputies were called to a residence on Road W to handle a call involving a person who had crashed a vehicle into the home “multiple times” before leaving. Other property was struck as well, including “a full propane tank and a parked vehicle,” according to the release.

After commencing an investigation, Szabo returned in a vehicle, striking a sheriff’s cruiser which was pushed into a deputy. Inside the cruiser was stationed a sheriff’s K9 unit.

Szabo left the scene again in a vehicle, the release indicated, while a second deputy who responded to the call subsequently located him. According to the release, Szabo drove his vehicle “directly at the deputy,” striking his cruiser “head on” before being arrested.

Two deputies sustained minor injuries and were treated while the K9 unit was unharmed, the release explained.

According to Napoleon Municipal Court records, Szabo was charged with felonious assault, a first-degree felony; failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony; two counts of tampering with evidence, each a third-degree felony; inducing panic, a fourth-degree felony; vandalism, a fourth-degree felony; assault, a fourth-degree felony; possessing criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony; obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony; and 15 misdemeanors, including OVI.

He had an initial appearance Monday in Napoleon Municipal Court. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Thursday and bond was set at $1 million with GPS monitoring if he makes bond.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and the Liberty-Washington Township Fire Department assisted with the incident.

According to Napoleon Municipal Court records, Szabo also had been cited by the sheriff’s office late Thursday night for domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor, from a previous incident.