CHILLICOTHE, Ohio – A Chillicothe woman who allegedly spent a morning painting red and black hopscotch outlines on city sidewalks may be facing criminal charges — though whether any will be filed depends on a question city officials are still trying to answer: who actually owns the sidewalks?
According to a Chillicothe Police Department incident report from March 11, 2026, an officer was dispatched to the area of South Brownell and East Main Street following an anonymous tip about a woman painting the sidewalk. Upon arrival, the officer observed a freshly painted red and black hopscotch outline on the east side of Brownell Street.
The woman was not on scene when police arrived, but a second anonymous caller reported spotting her on Madison Avenue. Police followed the trail of paint markings through the neighborhood and located the woman on Jackson Avenue, carrying two buckets of red and black paint.
When asked if she had been painting the sidewalks, the woman told the officer she wanted something “pretty” to look at. The officer noted that several other streets in the surrounding area had been painted with the same colors, along with additional colors as well.
According to the report, the woman was advised that her paint would be confiscated due to suspected vandalism of City of Chillicothe property. She set down the buckets and left the scene.
The officer contacted the City of Chillicothe Maintenance regarding potential charges. However, according to the report, no charges have been filed at this time due to uncertainty over whether the painted sidewalks are city property or privately owned by individual homeowners.
The open paint buckets were disposed of. According to the report, officers were unable to store liquid evidence for an extended period due to the risk of contamination with other evidence items.
No charges have been filed as of the time of this report.