Sunday, June 28, 1998
Suspect sought in Bridgetown man's death
The Cincinnati Homicide Unit is looking for a suspect in connection with the Friday morning shooting of a Bridgetown man at 3101 Brackenwoods Lane.
Police are searching for a black male in his 20s, 5 feet 11 inches to 6 feet tall, dark complexion, muscular build with a bald head. The victim, Scott Reynolds, 32, of 6346 Charity Drive, was shot to death on the street in front of an apartment building on Brackenwoods Lane.
Anyone with information concerning Mr. Reynolds' death is encouraged to call the Criminal Investigation Section at 352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040. Callers may remain anonymous.
The Hamilton police department and the Butler County Juvenile Court participated in a curfew sweep this weekend.
On Friday evening and Saturday morning 32 juveniles were cited to Butler County Juvenile Court for curfew violations.
The curfew hours for the city of Hamilton are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. The curfew applies to anyone under the age of 18.
Wreck involving cop car investigated
The Cincinnati Traffic Unit is investigating a police-involved traffic accident that occurred shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Glenway and Grand avenues in Price Hill. A marked police vehicle driven by District 3 Officer Eric Davis, 30, was traveling westbound on Glenway Avenue, in emergency mode, when a vehicle traveling northbound on Grand Avenue struck Officer Davis' vehicle, police said.
Officer Davis was treated at University Hospital for minor injuries and released.
Billy Mealor, 23, of Main Street, operator of the northbound vehicle, was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. He was listed in fair condition.
No charges were filed.
The Traffic Unit is asking anyone who witnessed the accident to call 352-2514.
Escaped prisoners nabbed in North Bend
Two men who escaped from the Pendleton Indiana Reformatory were captured in North Bend by the Hamilton County sheriff's department. Jamie Ashcraft of Lawrenceburg, Ind., was captured shortly before 6:30 p.m. Friday along with Michael J. Mosurak in a car stolen from the correctional facility.
While deputies attempted to stop the car, a short pursuit followed on Cliff and Brower roads and ended with the two in custody, police said.
In addition to escape charges, Mr. Ashcraft, who was operating the vehicle, faces charges of fleeing and eluding, and of receiving stolen property. Mr. Mosurak faces escape charges.
Boy, 6, kills cousin playing with handgun
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A boy playing with a handgun he thought was a toy fatally wounded his 6-year-old cousin, police said.
Shantee Miller was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon at the home of relatives she had been visiting, authorities said.
The boy, also 6, called Shantee to an upstairs bedroom to show her the handgun he had found in a travel bag, police said. The gun fired, shooting Shantee in the chest.
The boy's name was not released. No charges were filed, police said.
Cleveland airport computers need AC
CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has installed seven new portable air conditioners to try to keep air traffic control computers from overheating.
The old air conditioning system has failed twice since June 17, causing the computers to overheat and leaving controllers without vital information about the location of planes that were landing, taking off or flying over Hopkins.
On Monday, a supervisor was trying to cool off an overheating computer in the tower but accidentally shut it down instead, causing a blackout. Planes were kept in a holding pattern, and control was briefly turned over to the Cleveland Air Route Traffic Control Center in Oberlin.
The new air conditioning units will keep computers cool and functioning through February, when a new $560,000 air conditioning system will be ready.
"Even though the whole air conditioning system will be replaced, we feel it is important enough that the existing system be rebuilt so it can operate through the summer," said Don Zochert, spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration's Great Lakes Region. "They will replace key components and rebuild the system as they go. We now have a solid backup system in place to take over the air conditioning whenever the need arises."
Ex-court clerk denies stealing $448,000
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A former Franklin County Common Pleas Court clerk accused of stealing $448,000 from his office has pleaded not guilty. Jesse Oddi is charged with 49 counts, including theft in office, forgery, tampering with records, dereliction of duty, and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. He pleaded not guilty Friday to all charges.
His trial is scheduled for July 28.
Mr. Oddi is accused of embezzling more than $448,000 from traffic fines collected in the clerk's office from 1985 to 1998.
He originally was charged with one count of theft in office related to the loss of $381 in traffic fines. He was arrested April 10 and resigned two weeks later.
If convicted, Mr. Oddi could be sentenced to up to 71 years in prison.
