A few wild police calls from over the summer resulted in grand jury indictments last week.
The most serious charge among them is for kidnapping, a first-degree felony. 48-year-old David Byrd was indicted on six counts, including kidnapping, felonious assault and grand theft of a motor vehicle for an incident that reportedly started at Sheetz on West High Avenue in New Philadelphia on September 12th.
According to a police report, Byrd jumped in the car of his then girlfriend, sprayed her in the face with something that burned, took her keys then the vehicle and eventually fled on foot.
The woman reported the incident from the Take 5 Car Wash about a half mile down the road. Byrd was booked in the Tuscarawas County Jail later that day. He has been there since with bond set at 500-thousand dollars. No future court dates had been set as of Monday.
In a second case, a Mineral City area man was indicted by a grand jury last week 2 ½ months after he attempted to flee from deputies who recognized him from an outstanding warrant. 48-year-old Russell Renicker faces counts of felony failure to comply, resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
Tuscarawas County Sheriff Captain Adam Fisher said Renicker while riding a motorcycle in Midvale happened upon a crash scene back in August. A deputy working on the crash investigation recognized him and tried to make a traffic stop. Renicker has been in the Tuscarawas County Jail since September 30th. His bond had been set at 50-thousand dollars, but a judge revoked his bond last week.
Meanwhile, a 27-year-old Dennison woman was indicted last week for aggravated arson, a second-degree felony, for allegedly setting fire to the house she lived in. Uhrichsville Police said Mariah Whitman set fire to the house in the 200 block of Pearl Street in Uhrichsville on the night of August 8th and also made threats of self-harm. Police said she was not at the home when they arrived but showed up at the scene soon after, unharmed.
She was initially held in the Tuscarawas County Jail but was released a week later on bond. The court sent her a summons on Friday.
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