By William A. Weathers
The Cincinnati Enquirer

William Gasnik

CLEVES - A 48-year-old College Hill man was arrested Thursday afternoon after two teen girls told police he tried to get them inside his truck to "take a ride."

Cleves police charged William Gasnik, of the 5800 block of Hamilton Avenue, with two counts of child enticement, Police Chief Mark Demeropolis said. Gasnik, who asked a Cleves police officer to shoot him when he was apprehended, was also charged with resisting arrest, the police chief said.

Several knives and an ax were found in the truck, the chief said.

One of the teens called police about 3:30 p.m. and reported that a man in a white truck had asked her and another girl to get in his vehicle so they could take a ride and "have a good time,'' Demeropolis said. The teen said the incident occurred on Mount Nebo Road near Timea Avenue.

About 10 minutes later a Cleves officer spotted the vehicle near Mount Nebo Road and U.S. 50.

"When the suspect exited the vehicle he told the police officer he wanted to be shot,'' Demeropolis said. Gasnik was arrested after a brief tussle with the officer.

Demeropolis said Gasnik, who has an extensive criminal record, was not cooperating with officers who tried to question him.

"He's not talking to us at all," the police chief said. "He wouldn't even tell us his name."

The two teens, ages 16 and 17, did exactly what they were supposed to do when approached by a stranger, Demeropolis said.

"They ran into the house, locked the door and called us,'' he said.