CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In the early hours of August 30, 2024, local law enforcement responded to a call about three individuals wearing ski masks in the parking lot of the Fairfield Inn & Suites at 300 N Plaza Blvd. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the three juveniles had fled the scene on foot, heading toward N Bridge Street.
During the search, officers encountered two juveniles dressed in all-black clothing behind the Burger King on N Bridge Street. One of the juveniles, a 14-year-old male, was found carrying a hammer and claimed he was dropped off by his father in Chillicothe due to getting into trouble in Columbus. He stated he did not know the individuals he was with.
While officers were questioning the first juvenile, dispatch reported a third juvenile hiding behind the dumpsters at Frisch’s Big Boy. The second suspect, a 15-year-old male, was found hiding near the dumpster and was detained. Officers discovered a loaded .32 caliber Smith & Wesson handgun inside the dumpster near where the suspect was found. The suspect had an active warrant and admitted to cutting off his ankle monitor while on probation. He was arrested and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) for processing on charges related to the warrant and probation violation.
Further investigation revealed that a laptop matching the description of one stolen from a vehicle at the Fairfield Inn & Suites was later found discarded in the bushes in front of Garcia’s Mexican Cantina on N Bridge Street. Employees at the restaurant reviewed security footage, which showed three males running around the building and one of them throwing the laptop into the bushes before fleeing the scene. Officers are working to retrieve the footage and identify the owner of the laptop.
The stolen laptop and handgun were linked back to a victim from North Carolina, who reported the items missing after his vehicle was broken into while staying at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. The victim confirmed the descriptions of both the stolen handgun and laptop.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are working to gather more information about the incident and to return the stolen items to their rightful owner.
