Scioto County Sheriff Marty V. Donini announces that his communication center received a 911 call at approximately 8:57 p.m. July 2, with the caller advising that there was a burglary in progress in Scioto Furnace involving four men with guns driving a black truck.
Captain John W. Murphy stated that deputies responded to this location and observed a black truck in the roadway. As they approached the truck, they observed several occupants inside of the truck but noticed the driver was missing. One of the deputies then observed a male subject walking from behind a bush with his hands up saying that he had a gun. A deputy located a gun in the subject’s back pocket and was able to secure that weapon, and the subject advised that he had another gun that he placed down by a picnic table.
According to Murphy, several other people were removed from the truck, which resulted in two more firearms being recovered. Detectives responded to this location for a further investigation.
During the investigation, deputies were advised that two men and a 3-year-old child were in a vehicle located in front of their residence in South Webster when three men with firearms allegedly pulled into this location with guns, forcing them to get into the truck. These men allegedly took their cell phones and identifications from them.
Murphy said that the truck then drove to the location in Scioto Furnace. Upon arrival, the driver allegedly brandished a gun and made one of the men they had taken from the earlier location go inside this house, leaving two other men and guns out in the truck with the other man and child they allegedly had taken.
The victims reported that once inside the residence, the male suspect with the gun was allegedly ordering people around, confronting them about him being robbed. Several people were able to exit the house, which resulted in one of them going to a neighbor’s house to call 911, while the gunman allegedly kept two adult males inside, not allowing them to leave. The suspect grabbed a bag that had vape refills that contained THC, then fled out the door, running into the deputies that responded.
Captain Murphy stated that during the investigation, the detectives observed a strong smell of marijuana coming from inside the residence, Upon a search of this location, detectives located several Mason jars full of marijuana downstairs. While searching the upstairs area, detectives located a locked room that had a strong odor. After gaining entry into this locked room, they discovered an indoor grow room operation to include fans, multiple LED grow lights, heaters and dryers, along with multiple plants. The estimated street value of the recovered marijuana plants was approximately $19,000.
Arrested were:
• Blair A. Pyles, 39, of Springfield. Pyles has been charged with five counts of kidnapping, a felony of the first degree; and one count of aggravated burglary, a felony of the first degree.
• Steven Laws, 38, of Springfield. Laws has been charged with five counts of complicity to kidnapping, a felony of the first degree; one count of aggravated burglary, a felony of the first degree; and having weapons under disability, a felony of the third degree.
• Joseph P. Woods, 27, of Jackson. Woods was charged with three counts of complicity to kidnapping, a felony of the first degree.
Sheriff Donini stated that this is still an ongoing investigation that will result in more charges being presented to a grand jury once the evidence is tested at the Bureau of Crime and Investigations on a later date. Anyone with information should contact Detective Jodi Conkel at (740) 351-1091.
