The Vinton County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man for allegedly assaulting a child and for stealing a lamp.
According to the Vinton Sheriff, a call of children playing near the road on route 50 in Londonderry came in Wednesday. Larry A. R. Potts, 48, said he was watching the children for an individual who had went to the store. The grandmother of the children, who had legal custody, told deputies she left the children with Potts.
Several hours later, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from the grandmother stating that Potts had possibly assaulted some of the children and had also stolen a lamp. While deputies spoke with the grandmother, Potts pulled in the driveway and got out of the car holding the lamp. Potts was told by deputies to wait in his vehicle while they spoke with the grandmother.
Deputies say he didn’t like that and started leaving. Potts then started backing out of the driveway, with the trunk lid open on the vehicle, and drove down the road, deputies said. Deputies pursued the vehicle and was able to apprehend Potts a short distance away and took him into custody without incident. Inside the vehicle, deputies found a baggy of crystal substance (Possibly methamphetamine), drug paraphernalia, and scales with residue, they said.
Potts was taken to South Eastern Ohio Regional Jail and charged with Assault, Endangering Children, Failure to Comply with Order or Signal of Police Officer, Obstructing Official Business, and Possession of Drugs and Drug Paraphernalia.
A bond hearing is schedule for today.