UNION TOWNSHIP -- A Fairfield woman was found shot to death Tuesday evening in a wooded area, apparently by a man who rammed her car with his and dragged her away.
The incident touched off a manhunt by Union Township police and Butler County sheriff's deputies. Police swarmed the area of Ohio 747, Muhlhauser Road and the Woodland Hills subdivision in southern Union Township, and the suspect was captured about dawn this morning.
Police arrested Frank Sanders, who is thought to live in Hamilton County. Police identified the woman as Lisa Weber, in her 30s, of Pauline Drive in Fairfield.
She was found with a gunshot wound to the throat, lying on her back in a shallow creek, said Dr. Richard Burkhardt, Butler County coroner.
"We believe they knew each other," Union Township Capt. John Bruce said as deputies, dogs and helicopters from Hamilton County and Butler County searched. The Butler County helicopter was equipped with infra-red devices to see in the dark.
Residents were warned to stay inside. The area is mainly residential with some commercial areas and heavily wooded in spots.
"I'm very scared, and my husband works nights. I hope he comes home early," said Pam Long, 25, who has two boys, ages 6 and 3. She lives in an apartment on Muhlhauser Road near Woodland Hills.
Another resident of the complex, Andorian Mundy, said he saw a person running through the front shrubbery of the complex. Shortly after that, he heard gunshots from the nearby woods.
This accident sparked the incident that resulted in the murder of Lisa Weber of Fairfield.
(Craig Ruttle photos)
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Police found muddy footprints crossing Muhlhauser near the apartment complex that they think were made by the suspect.
Complicating the search Tuesday night were railroad tracks that run through the area. Capt. Bruce said the man could have jumped on a train to escape.
Capt. Bruce said officials say this is what happened:
The man, with the shotgun, apparently waited for the woman to get off work about 6 p.m. Tuesday at her workplace on Provident Drive in Union Township. Officers did not know where she worked.
The man then rammed her vehicle and one other vehicle with his just west of the intersection of Provident Drive and International Boulevard and dragged her into a wooded area near the Woodland Hills subdivision. The driver of the third car, who police said was Ms. Weber's son, was not injured or taken hostage. The son, who was not identifed, called police. Police said the son and mother may have worked in the same area.
Police said when they arrived they heard two gunshots from the woods north of the subdivision. About 8 p.m., Union Township dogs located the woman's body.
The search area was bounded by Crescentville Road on the south, Ohio 747 on the west, Windisch Road on the east and the Woodland Hills subdivision off Muhlhauser Road on the north.
Officers also responded from Fairfield, Sharonville and Springdale.
