Friday, July 16, 1999
Cross-dressing restaurant owner faces drug charge
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Harold Alexander, wearing wig and skirt, is led from his restaurant by police.
(Patrick Reddy photo)
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LUDLOW — The special was spaghetti and salad for $3.95, but police were more interested in the cocaine and $2,700.
Weeks of eating at Tosh's Home Cooking paid off for Ludlow police Thursday. With help from the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, they arrested the restaurateur and charged him with selling drugs in addition to his homemade soup.
Officers didn't have to go far to work on their plan of cozying up to Harold Alexander. The restaurant is across from the police department.
Chief Tom Collins said he suspected Mr. Alexander, who opened the restaurant a couple of weeks ago, chose Ludlow because he thought he might go undetected in the small town.
But even the kids who gathered outside the restaurant to watch the arrest said that would never have worked — Mr. Alexander got a lot of notice, they said, because he dresses in women's clothing.
Mr. Alexander, 45, who goes by the name LaToisha Alexander and asked police to refer to him as a woman, allegedly sold cocaine several times in the past few days to undercover buyers. A search of the restaurant after his arrest turned up about 2 ounces of powder cocaine and the cash, $1,600 of which was in Mr. Alexander's purse.
Police also searched his Covington house and a pet store he owns there, but found nothing.
They also impounded two cars registered to him.
The arrest and search temporarily closed down the restaurant, but it was expected to reopen. Mr. Alexander was scheduled for an initial court appearance this morning.
Workers were unsure about the future of their employment. Particularly a cook, who had just moved to Ludlow and started the job Wednesday, said waitress Angie Towles.
“She was a very nice lady, very nice to work for,” Ms. Towles said of the restaurant owner. “I never saw anything bad go on there.”
Chief Collins said when a drug customer went into the restaurant, Mr. Alexander would usher them to the back of the place and sell the cocaine there.
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