BLANCHESTER — A man was charged after police said he possessed a butcher knife during a dispute.
Late Tuesday night Blanchester police officers were called to the apartments at 901 E. Cherry St. for a report of neighbors arguing.
“Ptl. Kristen Jeffers and Sgt. Gary Mowen arrived, spoke to witnesses and learned that the dispute was between Brian Kostrzewski and a female friend, and they found Kostrzewski, who was intoxicated, in the parking lot,” Police Chief Scott Reinbolt stated in a news release.
“While Ptl. Jeffers was issuing Kostrzewski a summons for disorderly conduct, Sgt. Mowen noticed him place something on the ground under a parked car. Sgt. Mowen checked and found the item Kostrzewski placed on the ground was a butcher knife with an eight-inch fixed blade.”
Reinbolt said Kostrzewski was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon and was taken to the Clinton County Jail. He will answer the misdemeanor charge in the Clinton County Municipal Court.
Suspect charged
BLANCHESTER — At around 8 p.m. Monday police were called to the 6000 block of Sean Circle on a report of a neighbor dispute.
“Two Blanchester police officers were on duty, but one was tied up with a person he had arrested shortly before this call was received, so assistance was requested from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office,” Chief Reinbolt stated in a news release.
He said Ptl. Kristen Jeffers spoke with a resident who stated a neighbor, Zackery Baker, 27, came to his home intoxicated and tried to enter the home through the locked front door. When the resident asked Baker if he needed something, the resident said Baker informed him that he was there to assault him, Reinbolt said.
The resident stepped away and called police, and Baker returned to his home.
“Ptl. Jeffers and two Clinton County Deputy Sheriffs found Baker seated in his garage. He had slurred speech and was unsteady on his feet,” Reinbolt said. “He was placed under arrest for aggravated trespass. He told Ptl. Jeffers he consumes alcoholic beverages in order to treat a medical condition.”
Reinbolt said Baker was booked at the police station, then transported to the Clinton County Jail by a Blanchester police officer. He will answer the misdemeanor charge in the Clinton County Municipal Court.
“We are appreciative of the assistance provided by the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office in this incident,” Reinbolt said.
More than laundry
A South Wright Street resident reported in late May that she had taken laundry to the Scrubbing Bubbles Laundromat at 650 W. Main St. and placed it into washing machines, then left to run some other errands. When she returned to the laundromat, her clothes were missing — including her daughter’s first baby blanket, according to Blanchester police.
“Through a series of interviews we learned a suspicious woman was seen around the laundromat that day, that she was seen removing clothing from washing machines, and we were able to identify her as Shigaye Pendergrass, age 50, of Bethel,” said Chief Reinbolt. “Efforts to locate Pendergrass at her home were not successful. Based on the evidence gathered in the case, a warrant was obtained for her arrest in late May.”
He said Pendergrass was arrested by the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office a few days ago, and Blanchester PD picked her up from the Clermont County jail this morning. She was booked into the Clinton County Jail to await a hearing on a misdemeanor theft charge in municipal court on Monday.
“The current fad in many large, urban police departments is to ignore minor crimes in order to avoid the appearance of being too harsh on criminals,” said Reinbolt. “To the contrary, we still have enough common sense to know that minor crimes have a major impact on the peace of mind of the citizens of our community and that ignoring minor crimes emboldens criminals to commit more serious offenses. We therefore still take the time to follow any leads in cases like this.
“I am proud of our staff for working this case to a successful conclusion.”
