BY JANICE MORSE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN -- The man who was found dead Wednesday in a catch basin on AK Steel Corp. property might have been a vandalism suspect who ran from police Sunday, authorities said Thursday.
The man identified as Paul Johnson Jr., 32, who has listed several Middletown-area addresses, fits the description of a man whom police saw running away from a vandalized 1985 Oldsmobile station wagon. Its window had been smashed in the 4600 block of Freedom Court, Middletown Police Maj. Greg Schwarber said Thursday.
A police officer and police dog tracked the vandalism suspect to the AK Steel property, a report says, but officers were unable to get inside the fenced-in area.
Police on Thursday were still trying to determine whether Mr. Johnson was the suspect they chased into the area Sunday, Maj. Schwarber said.
Police also were still trying to learn how Mr. Johnson ended up in the catch basin. A preliminary coroner's report indicates Mr. Johnson appeared to have died by drowning, said Andy Willis, an investigator for the Butler County Coroner's Office.
Coroner Richard Burkhardt will make a final ruling after he learns results of laboratory tests that will show whether drugs or alcohol could have contributed to Mr. Johnson's death.
