Latest news with #MiamisburgPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested, accused of sex offence with child under 10-years-old
A man was arrested Friday by Miamisburg police after they investigated a report saying there was a potential offense, according to the Miamisburg Police Department. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The man, 56-year-old Michael Wootan, is charged with two counts of gross sexual imposition and two counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material, both of which are felonies. Police say they received a report concerning a sex offence with a child under the age of 10. An investigation led to a warrant for a house on the 300 block of Richard Street. TRENDING STORIES: Video released of moments leading up to officer shooting armed man Former NFL receiver Antonio Brown sought on attempted murder charge Over 400K driver's license suspensions removed under new Ohio law The Tactical Crime Suppression Unit and Kettering Regional SWAT assisted Miamisburg police as they searched Wootan's home, police say. Wootan was taken into police custody and booked into the Montgomery County Jail. Miamisburg police say the investigation is ongoing. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Yahoo
Couple's phone call helps police catch Miamisburg murder suspect
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A couple in West Carrollton was recognized Tuesday night for their help in catching a murder suspect. Kaitlynn and Matthew Pope were taking a walk on March 13 when a homicide investigation quite literally ended up at their front door. With some quick thinking, the couple helped police arrest their suspect. Law enforcement had spent all night searching for Dametrius Turner, when the couple found the man in their front yard. 'All night long we used the resources of the state highway patrol, the sheriff and agencies around us,' said Mike Brem, Miamisburg Police Department chief of police. Turner was wanted for murder and felonious assault after police had found 52-year-old Leslie Ross dead in a Miamisburg home just hours earlier. Turner had been on the run since fleeing the scene, pursued by dozens of officers and drones. It wasn't until Kaitlynn and Matthew Pope were returning home from a walk that the case shifted. 'I spotted this individual down the road and he didn't look right to me, so I just kept my eye on him,' said Matthew Pope. 'He kind of stopped in front of our house in the driveway, kind of going back and forth and that was right after we saw a Miamisburg police officer.' Later out of curiosity, the couple says they checked their local Facebook groups — and saw a post Miamisburg PD shared just hours before. 'We had this gut instinct and at first we didn't listen,' said Kaitlynn Pope. 'We kept talking about it and talking about it and we're like, okay, something's going on.' After some discussion, the couple phoned the police. With the description of Turner confirmed, officials were able to close in on the area and arrest him after a 13-hour manhunt, where he traveled on foot from Miamisburg to West Carrollton. On Tuesday night, Miamisburg city leaders wanted to recognize the couple for their quick thinking and actions. 'We were in the right place at the right time, and I feel like any other resident would've done the same,' Matthew said. Turner remains in the Montgomery County Jail where he is facing felonious assault, murder and several other charges. His next court date is April 16. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Dog trainer accused of scamming customers, mistreating animals gets probation
Mar. 17—A Huber Heights man who reportedly failed to train dogs as promised and returned pets covered in feces was sentenced to probation. Jason Thomas Jones, 45, was ordered to pay $341,363.24 in restitution, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office. Jones previously pleaded guilty to 181 charges in January, including theft, theft from elderly/disabled, theft from elderly/disabled/service member, cruelty to companion animals, failure to file state income tax and engaging a pattern of corrupt activity. He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to companion animals and theft charges. The prosecutor's office recommended a minimum sentence of 10 years. "This defendant ran his so-called business in a way that suggested he believed he could escape the consequences of taking people's money, torturing their dogs and providing little to no actual dog training," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said. "The number of victims is staggering. As a dog owner, I am relieved that his criminal activities have been stopped." Jones owned and operated Dayton Dog Trainer LLC. The company reportedly claimed to offer obedience training for dogs and support animals. Jones and his business charged thousands of dollars for training, but returned untrained animals, sometimes covered in feces and with signs of abuse and neglect, according to the prosecutor's office. A Miamisburg police investigation determined there were at least 120 victims from across the Miami Valley who lost more than $340,000. The investigation began after Randy Reed of Miamisburg placed his two 6-month-old bernedoodles Emmy and Bailey — a cross between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle — in Jones' care. After the first two weeks of a contracted month of training for $4,000, Reed said he found his dogs at Jones' property staked in a field, filthy with a rash and clear weight loss. He did not bring the dogs back for a second two-week session and didn't get his money back for the extra weeks. Reed then took to social media and found a dozen people with similar experiences and brought that information to the Miamisburg Police Department. Following Jones' guilty plea Reed said some victims wanted to see Jones in prison, but that they were aware having him pay back the people he defrauded was possible instead of incarceration. "I am fine with it, if that's what happens, because I know there's a lot of poor people that need the money," Reed said previously. Jones' co-defendants, Jennifer Long and Tabatha Taverna, pleaded no contest to theft charges in February, according to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court records. Cruelty to companion animals, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and theft from an elderly or disabled person charges were dismissed. Long and Taverna are scheduled to be sentenced Friday. Staff Writer Daniel Susco contributed to this report.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Women connected to fraudulent dog training business plead guilty to theft charges
Feb. 28—Two women who were charged connected to a scheme involving a fraudulent dog training business that abused and neglected animals have pleaded guilty in agreements filed Friday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Tabatha Taverna, 48, and Jennifer Long, 40, both pleaded no contest to indicted theft charges, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office. Taverna was charged with three counts of theft, while Long was charged with four counts. Additional charges of cruelty to companion animals, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and theft from an elderly or disabled person were dismissed, the prosecutor's office said. The pair were charged along with Jason Thomas Jones, 45, connected to Dayton Dog Trainer, a business owned and operated by Jones that claimed to provide obedience training for dogs and support animal training. A lengthy investigation by the Miamisburg Police Department found that after owners paid thousands of dollars, the animals were returned untrained, often covered in feces and with obvious signs of neglect and maltreatment, according to Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. The investigation started after Randy Reed of Miamisburg hired Jones to train his two 6-month-old bernedoodles, Emmy and Bailey, at the cost of $4,000. Two weeks into a contracted month of training, Reed said that he found the dogs at Jones' property staked out in a field, filthy with a rash and clear weight loss. He didn't bring the dogs back for a second two-week session and didn't get his money back for the second two weeks. He then took to social media and found a dozen people with similar experiences, then took that information to the Miamisburg Police Department. In all, police found more than 65 dog owners who paid the business more than $200,000. Victims include Melissa McClure of Springfield and her French bulldog Tater, who spent five weeks with the business because the dog had an issue with small children and other dogs. When the dog was returned, McClure said that he was dirty, stank, had hair missing in patches, was noticeably thinner and appeared to have had his teeth filed down. They also include Dale and Mary Beth Kidd of Washington Twp., who left their 2-year-old European German shepherd Nico with the business due to a problem with barking at other dogs. After weeks at the training business, the dog's behavior worsened, and he snapped at the couple's niece. They sent the dog back for more training, and he became even worse, becoming frightened and aggressive and attacking the niece again. Jones pleaded guilty last month to a total of 181 charges, including theft, theft from the elderly/disabled, cruelty to companion animals, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and failure to file state income tax. He is scheduled to be sentenced March 14.
