CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — The Chillicothe Police Department launched a series of high-priority investigations on Thursday, May 28, following a busy 16-call shift that included a dynamic kidnapping complaint, a fight at the local YMCA, and a new drug trafficking probe.
Terrified Passenger Prompts Kidnapping Investigation
The most severe call of the morning shift occurred at 9:04 a.m. when officers rushed to the Pilot travel center on East Main Street.
According to police logs, a distressed female called her father from the location, frantically begging for help and stating that she was being held against her will by the people she was traveling with. Officers arrived on the scene to secure the area and immediately opened a formal investigation into charges of Kidnapping and Restraint of Liberty. No further information regarding suspects or the victim’s condition has been released.
Assaults and Property Crimes Keep Units Moving
Violence and vandalism required police intervention throughout the afternoon and evening blocks:
- YMCA Fight: At 5:39 p.m., units responded to the YMCA at 100 Mill Street after a physical fight broke out between at least two males. The incident resulted in a formal report for both Criminal Trespass and Assault.
- Neighborhood Assaults: Earlier in the day, at 10:22 a.m., an assault complaint was filed directly at the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) lobby originating from Central Center. Later that night, at 9:02 p.m., officers rushed to 911 Columbus Street regarding an active assault that had just occurred. Both cases remain under investigation.
- Thefts & Mischief: Property crimes included a phone-in theft report taken from Arch Street at 8:57 a.m. and a shoplifting complaint at the Hobby Lobby on North Bridge Street at 2:56 p.m. Additionally, instances of criminal mischief were documented at Sherman Park at 10:04 a.m. and on Whaley Place at 3:33 p.m.
Detective Unit Opens Drug Trafficking Case
Late Thursday evening, the Chillicothe Police Department’s detective division escalated its proactive efforts against local narcotics. At 9:11 p.m., a detective formally opened an active investigation into illicit drug trafficking within the city. Initial filings connected to the case include charges of Illegal Use or Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Drugs.
Traffic Sweeps and Neighborhood Checks
Traffic enforcement was heavily concentrated along Yoctangee Parkway on Thursday, as officers conducted a targeted sweep for “failure to obey traffic control devices.” Four separate motorists were pulled over and penalized within a two-hour window:
- 12:32 p.m. near Arch Street
- 12:50 p.m. near Mill Street
- 1:15 p.m. near Arch Street
- 1:27 p.m. at the Arch Street intersection
The department also handled a juvenile complaint that turned into a criminal trespass warning at the Sheetz gas station on North Bridge Street at 3:03 a.m., a single-vehicle “failure to control” crash on North Sugar Street at 7:01 p.m., and an active missing person investigation generated from a call on Park Street at 3:55 p.m.
