By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

April 27

WANTED PERSON: Officers responded to the 500 block of Gray Avenue in reference to a known male, Matthew Rutherford, staying there with an active warrant for a parole violation. Officers got permission to search the house, and in the left upstairs bedroom with a closet floor that appeared to be locked, Rutherford was located. He was arrested and transported to the jail.

April 28

WELFARE CHECK: At 12:04 a.m. officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Sweitzer Street in reference to a welfare check on an eight year-old male with autism who had been left alone at home by his mother according to the caller. the caller stated the mother left the child at home alone to go to the bar. Officers knocked on the door with no response but could see a TV on upstairs with the curtains open. Around 12:36 a.m. the mom pulled into the driveway and asked why they were at her residence and told them all to leave. She refused to speak to the officers and ignored all orders to stop. She was told she wasn’t free to leave, and she opened the door to the house and attempted to shut it in the officer’s face. She was advised she needed to turn around and place her hands behind her back as to be detained, and she refused. She was detained and brought outside. She told officers her son was in Piqua with the father, and she provided his phone number. She said no one was in the house, but the officers advised her they knew someone was inside due to the curtain being opened and closed. She again stated there was no one inside. Officers made contact with the father of two of her children, however he was not the father of the child in question and did not have him. She advised he was with her mother in Gettysburg before refusing to give the officers her mother’s number. Prosecutor Jim Bennett was contacted, and he stated that due to the circumstances and to check the welfare of the child, the officers could make entry into the house to check on the child and to ensure he is at the residence and is ok. The mom was placed in the back of the patrol car before officers entered the house. Located upstairs in the same room where the curtain had been shut, was a small child who was identified as the boy they had gotten a call about. He was laying on the mattress on the floor surrounded and covered with trash. The room was very hot, and he appeared to be visibly sweating, there was no air flow, or fan on in the room, and the window was shut. The boy said mom was supposed to be home in the morning. The grandmother was contacted, and she was also very uncooperative. However, she took custody of the boy for the night, CPS was contacted and made aware of the situation, photos were taken of his living conditions, and the on call CPS employee said she was aware of who the child was. The mom was asked about the child’s medication and did not take them for the night before later changing her answer. Kara McConnell was transported to the jail and charged with endangering children and obstructing official business. The caller was contacted after the incident and made officers aware of another incident shortly prior of McConnell leaving her son home alone for an entire weekend while she went on vacation.

April 30

WANTED PERSON: At 6:03 p.m. officers apprehended a known subject at the 500 block of South Broadway Street. Josiah Randall was located and arrested for a probation violation warrant for the original charge of criminal trespass.

May 1

VANDALISM: At 9:51 a.m. officers were dispatched to the 100 block of East Water Street in reference to a vandalism to a vehicle. The rear window of the car had a hole in it as well as the glass being cracked around the hole. Officers did not find the object used to damage the window, and it is unknown how the window was busted. No possible suspects at this time.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].