Greenville Police Beat
Drug related death, weapons arrest and domestic violence

On Feb. 16 police were notified by Christopher Dotson that he and his fiancé Michelle Defevers went to visit her father and believe he was deceased when they found him. Police went into Apt. 10, 224 W. Main St., and found Ric Defevers sitting on the floor slumped over. He had no pulse. Greenville Rescue arrived and pronounced him deceased. Michelle told police he had been staying in a homeless shelter in Dayton until VA found this apartment for him. She said he was an alcoholic, but that she had slowly been allowing him into her life. The officer and witnesses observed numerous bottles of pills and syringes, two spoons, a razor blade, straw and residue. Darke County Coroner investigator Joe VanVickel said he believed the death to be the result of drug abuse and alcoholism.

WEAPONS ARREST

On Feb. 16 police were dispatched to Chase Bank, 541 Wagner Ave., regarding an argument between Elizabeth Engle, her boyfriend Kenneth Kniess and Engle’s mother Julia Crosby. There was a report Kniess had fired a weapon in the air. Police stopped them as they were leaving the bank and Kniess was ordered out of their vehicle. Kniess said he did not have a firearm. A second police officer obtained permission to search the vehicle and found a small chrome pistol under the front passenger seat. It was loaded and had one spent cartridge in it. Kniess admitted the pistol was his but denied firing it. Engle and Crosby wrote out statements indicating Kniess was angry because Engle had told him she was driving. She did not see him fire the pistol but heard it. Kniess was arrested and charged with discharging a firearm in the city limits and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle. He was transported to the Darke County jail.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

On Feb. 11 police were dispatched to Wayne Hospital on a domestic violence report. Skyler Butt said his mom, Carla Brown, and sister Christine McCawley were involved in an argument. He said his mom hit his sister, then hit him in the eye, mouth and scratched his neck. Butt had scratches on his neck and redness on the right side of his face. Butt said he was staying with his mom and sister in a homeless shelter after being evicted from an apartment in Piqua. He added he has mental issues and has not had medication for a while. Brown told police Butt woke up in a bad mood and was yelling and arguing with his sister. She tried to calm him down – they had been warned at the shelter to keep quiet – but Butt allegedly slapped his sister, then his mom and had her on the ground. McCawley tried to get Butt off his mom and admitted hitting her brother to do it. Brown said she is afraid of Butt as he has struck both of them several times. He allegedly has severe mental health problems and has not taken medications for six months. Butt was arrested for domestic violence and transported to Darke County jail.

ASSAULT

On Feb. 9 police were dispatched to Wal-Mart, 1501 Wagner Ave., on an assault complaint. The victim and his father were by the grocery entrance. The victim was unstable while standing and showed a visible cut to the forehead and redness around his eye. He thought he lost consciousness at one point. He said he was leaving with his friend, a juvenile girl, when her step-brother was there in a white Pontiac Grand Prix. EMS was called; they took the victim to Wayne Emergency. A video showed the victim and the girl inside then later walking out to the parking lot down to the far end close to Wagner Avenue. The video showed a white Pontiac speeding off after an altercation, then a witness helping the victim inside the store. The step-brother indicated a number of people were involved, including the girl, who had complained the victim was texting/harassing her. The step-brother was cited for assault, the girl for complicity to the assault.

SHOPLIFTING

On Feb. 10 police were dispatched to Family Dollar, 300 Martin St., regarding a possible shoplifting incident. The employee told police a suspect she knew by name had entered the store and taken an Atari Flashback 4 off the shelf. The employee had to help a customer; when she looked back she saw the suspect place the box back on the shelf and leave. She checked the box and found it was empty. Police have been unable to locate the suspect at this time.

On Feb. 14 police had recovered property that might have come from JC Penney, 1481 Wagner Ave. Police took the property to JC Penney and confirmed it did come from there. It is unknown when the theft occurred, however the property was in the possession of Jeremiah Burkhart who will be cited for Receiving Stolen Property.

On Feb. 16 police were dispatched to CVS Pharmacy, 1009 E. Main St., regarding a customer, Lovella Isaacs, who removed a Snickers ice cream bar from the cooler, opened it, ate half of it, then hid the rest of it behind some tissue boxes. The rest of the bar was still behind the box of tissues when police arrived. Isaacs was cited for theft.

JUVENILE

On Feb. 14 police responded to the home of a missing juvenile. The mother, Darla Harris, said the daughter left the house on Feb. 10. She contacted the daughter that night and told her to come home. The girl said no. The daughter then contacted her mom on Feb. 12 and was told to “get home,” after which Harris hung up. She hasn’t heard from the girl since. The juvenile has been entered into LEADS.

THEFT

On Feb. 11 police were dispatched to 169 Bellevernon regarding a theft. Leana Huntwork said her step-brother went outside that evening to start her car and found her wallet on the ground next to the car. There was $60 missing from it. Huntwork said she was sure she locked the vehicle, but there was no damage to indicate the car door had been forced open. No suspects at this time.

Published courtesy of The Early Bird