House explosion sends man to hospital with third-degree burns

By Lucas Sullivan | Friday, November 28, 2008, 11:04 PM

JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County - A man was rushed to Miami Valley Hospital with third-degree burns over 75 percent of his body after an explosion inside his home late Friday night, Nov. 28.

Fire crews responded to 40 Calumet Lane just after 9 p.m. on the report of a house fire, according to a Montgomery County Sheriff’s dispatcher.

They arrived to find the man inside and part of the house blown off, scattered all over the front yard and road, according to the Jefferson Twp. Fire Department.

The fire was extinguished and investigators found no one else inside, investigators said.

It is unclear at this time what caused the explosion, but investigators said electricity and natural gas had previously been disconnected from the structure.

The man, whose identity is unknown, is in critical condition as of 11 p.m.

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Man drives to local hospital after being shot

By Lucas Sullivan | Friday, November 28, 2008, 04:59 PM

HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — A dispute over a girl Wednesday, Nov. 26, escalated to gunshots with the shooting victim showing up at Good Samaritan Hospital, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies are investigating what led to the shooting at the Northland Village Apartments, 1952 Republic Drive, at about 6:30 p.m.

The victim’s identity, along with the shooter’s, has not been released but he expected to survive a single gunshot wound to the upper body, Sheriff Phil Plummer said.

The female told deputies the victim tried to intervene in a physical fight she was having with a male acquaintance, according to a sheriff’s report. The man she was fighting with then pulled out a gun and fired, the report stated.

The wounded man then jumped into his car and drove to the hospital, Plummer said. He has since been treated and released from the hospital.

The shooter is still at large, Plummer said. Anyone with information is urge to call 911 immediately.

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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Now behave.

By Lucas Sullivan | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 06:02 PM

It’s been relatively quiet on the crime beat the last few days and we should all be thankful for that.

I hope it is a quiet holiday and everyone gets along. To get everyone in a good mood, here is one of my favorite turkey jokes:

A game warden was driving down the road when saw a boy carrying a wild turkey under his arm.

He stopped and asked the boy, “Where did you get that turkey?”

The boy replied, “What turkey?”

The game warden said, “That turkey you’re carrying under your arm.”

The boy looks down and said, “Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted under my arm!”

The game warden said, “Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so whatever you do to that turkey, I’m going to do to you. If you break his leg, I’m gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I’ll break your arm. Whatever you do to him, I’ll do to you. So, what are you gonna do with him?”

The little boy answered, “I guess I’ll just kiss his fanny and let him go!”

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Man indicted in murder of Sinclair employee

By Lucas Sullivan | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 03:39 PM

Mark Nolan

DAYTON - A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted Mark Anthony Nolan for the July murder of a Sinclair Community College employee.

Nolan, 30, is charged with two counts of aggravated murder for the death of Stephen Linderman.

Linderman, 59, was found beaten to death in the bedroom of his home in the 1600 block of Northdale Road on July 19. Detectives said he had numerous lacerations on his body and had severe blunt force trauma to his head.

Nolan is also charged with aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, theft, grand theft, failure to comply and petty theft.

He is in jail on $1 million bond.

Linderman was an Enterprise Applications administrator in information technology and had been employed at Sinclair since 1987, the school said.

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Police: Mom sets fire with kids inside house

By Lucas Sullivan | Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 02:05 PM

DAYTON- A woman told police she started a fire inside her house Monday, Nov. 24, while her children were still inside because she was tired of her children’s father and taking care of her family, according to police.

Officers and firefighters responding to the fire in the 400 block of Edgar Avenue at about 10 p.m. found the house full of smoke and two children, including an infant, left unattended upstairs, according to a police report.

Summer Gentry later told officers she lit a newspaper on fire on the kitchen stove because she was upset with her boyfriend, Renaldo Evans, according to the report. Evans also lives in the house, according to police.

Officers said they could smell alcohol on her breath and found empty bottles of alcohol inside the house, the report stated.

Once the house was clear of smoke, officers went back in and found it to be in deplorable condition, the report stated. There was food in the carpet and trash piled up throughout the house, including around the bathroom toilet and in the baby’s playpen, the report stated.

Officers said in the report they had trouble going through the house because there wasn’t a clear path due to all the trash, food and clothes.

There were bugs, including roaches and gnats, all over the house, and officers found just a package of bologna and a bottle of ketchup in the refrigerator, the report stated.

Children’s Services was called to investigate, and the children were removed from the home, the report stated. They were given to a relative with suitable living conditions.

Gentry, 29, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of child endangering, while Evans, 29, was summoned to appear.

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Officer found microwave dinners in bag

By Lucas Sullivan | Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 11:49 AM

DAYTON - Officers responding to a burglary alarm at a local school arrived to find a man carrying a blue bag full of microwave dinners and the teachers’ lounge refrigerator raided.

Officer Joshua Frisby was near the Miami Valley Childhood Development Center, 3805 Kings Highway at about 9:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, when he noticed John L. Brandon Jr. walking away from the building, according to a police report.

Brandon, 51 (pictured), was carrying the blue bag around his neck, but he did not notice Frisby, who arrived after an alarm was tripped inside the school, the report stated.

Brandon told Frisby he was coming from a convenience store where he purchased some food, according to the report. Frisby opened up the bag and found screwdrivers, cutting pliers and a flashlight.

There was also a Kroger bag full of Banquet dinners, the report stated.

More officers arrived to find a window screen had been cut and a window open near the teacher’s lounge, the report stated. They went inside and found the freezer had been raided.

When asked where he got the food, Brandon allegedly told officers he came from a direction different than Frisby had observed. Frisby then learned Brandon had burglarized the school in 2006, according to the report.

Brandon was arrested on a felony charge of breaking and entering and possessing criminal tools.

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Police: Coroner’s report crucial in indicting men in Sipos’ death

By Lucas Sullivan | Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 09:34 AM

Antonio Gomez

Robert T. Kleekamp

Robert Hancher

DAYTON - Three men are now in custody for the February beating death of Stephen C. Sipos, according to police.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Robert Hancher, 23, at about 1 p.m. today, Nov. 25, after he was indicted on a murder charge. Dayton police arrested Robert T. Kleekamp, 22 and Antonio Gomez II, 19, at about 5 p.m., Monday, Nov. 24, according to jail records.

Kleekamp is also charged with murder and Gomez involuntary manslaughter.

An arraignment hearing has been set for Dec. 9 for all three men.

Sipos, 32, was found bleeding outside Meercat’s Bar and Grill, 1227 Wilmington Ave., on Feb. 2, by a friend who called 911. He had multiple head injuries and died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

Sipos was still alive when medics arrived, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Miami Valley Hospital, according to police.

The three men had been considered suspects throughout their investigation, but coroner’s reports nailed down indictments handed down Monday afternoon, Lt. Patrick Welsh said.

“There was no deficiency in our investigation,” Welsh said. “We were just waiting on the medical evidence that proved this was a brutal homicide.”

Sipos suffered multiple fractures to the head and neck, according to the coroner’s report. He also sustained severe brain injuries as a result of the beating.

Sipos’ father, Steve, declined comment Tuesday, saying he did not want to compromise the investigation.

Police said Sipos followed at least one of the men out of the bar in February and a fight ensued. Detectives have spent the last 10 months trying to determine if the men were acting in self defense, Welsh said.

“The coroner’s report is not consistent with a claim of self defense,” Welsh said.

Gomez faces a lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter after investigators determined he was not as involved in causing Sipos’ death as Kleekamp and Hancher, Welsh said.

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