Oxford Crime Roundup: Victim becomes detective to get her purse back

BY DUNCAN STEWART

Miami University journalism student

The Miami University-University of Cincinnati football game and Homecoming weekend brought with it an influx of visitors into Oxford.

Oxford Sgt. Jon Varley said that while there were more people in the city, police did not record a rise in incidents or arrests.

“There were a lot of people in town, but nothing crazy happened,” he said.

While not unusual by Oxford standards, the previous week of September 16 still saw a variety of incidents, many fueled by alcohol.

Victim becomes detective to get her purse back

Laura Schmitz, 21, didn’t realize she left her purse at Skipper’s Pub in the early morning of September 16 until she was already home.

“It had my wallet, my house keys, my makeup- almost everything,” she said.
She called Skipper’s and learned the purse was gone. Schmitz then checked her debit card balance, and saw that two purchases had already been made: $25 from Skippers and $12 from Jimmy Johns.
The Jimmy Johns order was a delivery. Schmitz went to the store to get a copy of the receipt and learned where the order was sent.
She gave this information to Oxford police Sgt. Dave King. Schmitz said King then went to the address and got back her purse and all of her belongings- except her debit card.
Schmitz says she plans to press charges.
“They could have come to me and said they messed up and took my stuff,” she said. “I don’t feel bad for them.”

Underage UC student charged with resisting arrest

Oxford police said they found a 19-year-old man unconscious in a parked car outside 320 N. Campus Ave. on September 16. It took Officers Julia Huff and David Morgan several attempts to rouse the man, who smelled strongly of alcohol, according to police reports.

Officers found 39 cans of Natural Light beer and a fake Illinois driver’s license with Drew Goins'name and photo.

Police said Goins, a University of Cincinnati student, scuffled with the officers when they tried to remove him from the car. Both officers and Goins ended up on the ground before they could handcuff him.

“He started yelling he hadn’t done anything wrong,” Varley said.

He was then taken to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital for evaluation before he was moved to a jail cell at the Oxford Police Department. He urinated on the ground there, a police report said.

Goins was charged with resisting arrest, possessing alcohol as a minor, prohibited acts and two counts of disorderly conduct.

Motorist leads Oxford police on chase

A 21-year-old Eaton man was arrested after leading police on a chase through Oxford September 16, according to an Oxford police report.

Barry Austin Thompson was riding a motorcycle down High Street when Officer Jeffrey Morgan saw the motorcycle's back tire was showing nylon cords.

“That means all the rubber had been worn off,” making the vehicle unsafe, said Varley.

Morgan attempted to pull the motorcycle over at the corner of Church and Poplar streets, but Thompson did not stop, the report said. The driver ran stop signs at Campus Avenue, Vine Street, and Sycamore Street, reaching 70 miles per hour, the report said.

The driver, with Morgan still in pursuit, turned onto Sycamore Street and ran the stoplight to turn north at Morningside Road. The motorcycle began to experience mechanical issues before it came to a stop on Somerville Road right outside of Mile Square. Morgan was arrested Thompson there.

When asked why he ran from Morgan, he stated, “I made a mistake. I don’t know what I was thinking, it was stupid.”

“He wasn’t the smartest,” Varley said.

Thompson was taken to Butler County Jail and charged with failure to comply, driving while suspended, running a stop sign and speeding.

Miami student charged with DUI, improper use of firearm

A 21-year-old man was arrested September 13 in Uptown Oxford and charged with driving under the influence and improper use of a firearm, according to Oxford police reports.

Oxford police officer Anthony Gilbert, a Miami University student, pulled over a car driven by Evan Opeka after Gilbert saw it loudly accelerating down High and north Elm streets before it turned down High Street quickly enough to cause an audible squealing sound, according to a police report.

When Gilbert approached the car's window, the officer smelled alcohol on the driver's breath and saw he was wearing a wristband similar to those given out at Brick Street Bar and Grill.

As the driver handed the officer his identification, Gilbert saw another identification card in his wallet. When he asked what this identification was for, the driver told him it was a concealed carry license, and when asked, stated that his gun was in the glovebox.

The driver told Gilbert he had only had a few beers earlier.

But according to the police report, Opeka did not pass field sobriety tests and was arrested. At the Oxford Police Department, he was given a breathalyzer and it registered nearly twice the legal limit.

While in custody, Opeka asked Gilbert, “What happened to driving people home one time after they get too drunk?”

“That doesn’t happen,” said Varley, chuckling.

Opeka faces charges of DUI, improper handling of a firearm and operating with willful disregard for public safety.

Talawanda student arrested after assault on Hamilton man in Peffer Park

A Talawanda High School student faces charges in connection with an assault on Hamilton resident Scott Jones, 22, with a .22 caliber handgun on September 18 at Oxford's Peffer Park.

Police said the 17-year-old gave Jones 15 units of LSD to sell and wanted to be paid back. The teen went to find Jones in an area of Peffer Park known as the Bluffs, where Jones was laying in a hammock.

The teen approached Jones and demanded repayment. Jones told police the teen pointed a gun at him and struck him with it. They began to fight, and Jones was bit several times, police said.

After the fight, the teen left, and Jones reported the incident to police. The teen was arrested Officer Peter Durkin while standing in the middle of the road on Vicki Anda Court.

The teen was charged with aggravated robbery and remains in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center in Hamilton.

Photo 1: Schmitz (right) thought she would never see the contents of her purse again after leaving it at Skipper's Pub. -- Photo by Duncan Stewart

Photo 2: Thompson was charged with running several stop signs, including at Church and Poplar Streets.

--Photo by Duncan Stewart

Photo 3: Goins urinated on the floor of the cell in the Oxford Police Department, despite there being a toilet a few feet away. --Photo by Duncan Stewart