A Hillsboro man with a long history in Hillsboro Municipal Court is facing another charge after he apparently had a little too much fun sometime early Thursday morning around the Highland County Courthouse.
Neal McKenzie, 40, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief later Thursday morning.
According to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, McKenzie placed traffic cones in front of the entrances to the courthouse and the Highland County Prosecutor’s Office, placed a street barricade in front of the Highland County Administration Building, took a gas cap off a sheriff’s office cruiser parked on the north side of the courthouse and tossed it on the sidewalk, and left a Burger King cup atop the cruiser’s light bar.
A sheriff’s office spokesperson said McKenzie was identified through a courthouse surveillance camera, and was later located walking in the uptown Hillsboro area by the Hillsboro Police Department.
He was taken into custody and transported to the Highland County Jail.
The sheriff’s office spokesperson said McKenzie confessed to the crimes.
“Just being stupid, I think that’s what he said, in his own words,” the spokesperson said.
McKenzie was arraigned Thursday in Hillsboro Municipal Court. His bond for the third-degree misdemeanor was set at $750 and a pretrial was set for 10 a.m. July 18. He was ordered to observe an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew, unless he is at work.
The sheriff’s office said late Thursday afternoon that he was no longer in custody.
The cruiser was towed to Robbins Auto Service to make sure there was nothing wrong with it, the spokesperson said.
McKenzie has 30 prior docket entries in Hillsboro Municipal Court.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
