MOUNT VERNON — A Columbus woman and a Thornville man were indicted Monday by the Knox County grand jury for breaking and entering, theft and motor vehicle theft in relation to an attempted burglary Jan. 25.
Ryan Bowen, 25, Thornville, and Christi McCarty, 19, Columbus, were arrested Saturday morning during the suspected burglary of an under construction home on Martinsburg Road. While nothing was reported taken from the construction site, investigating officers discovered a stolen ATV and a stolen Moritz dump trailer in Bowen and McCarty’s possession. Bowen and McCarty had allegedly taken the ATV and trailer from two other locations prior to the Martinsburg Road burglary, according to Knox County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nicole Derr.
During the investigation, officers discovered two handguns in addition to the stolen ATV and trailer. Officers are still investigating if additional tools and property that were recovered are also stolen, according to a KCSO information release.
McCarty was indicted for breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, theft, a fifth-degree felony, and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony.
Bowen was indicted for breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony, grand theft of motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, theft, a fifth-degree felony, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony, and two counts of having weapons under disability, third-degree felonies.
Bowen was previously indicted in October 2019 by the Licking County grand jury for assault, a fourth-degree felony, and two counts of burglary, second-degree felonies. According to the Ohio Revised Code, a person is prohibited from having firearms while under indictment for a felony offense of violence.
It is unclear at the moment how Bowen and McCarty, from Perry County and Franklin County respectively, knew each other and why they came to Knox County, according to Derr.
In another case of alleged criminal partnership, Andruw Carl, 24, Fredericktown, and Hunter Phillips, 27, Mount Vernon, were each indicted for two counts of robbery, second-degree felonies, and two counts of assault, first-degree misdemeanors. Phillips was additionally indicted for having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony.
Carl and Phillips reportedly committed robbery near the library and outside of an apartment building Jan. 17 and Jan. 19. In each instance, Carl and Phillips demanded the victims to hand over their shoes. They further took one of the victims’ coat, shirts and cellphone.
When law enforcement arrested Phillips on Jan. 25, he was found to possess a handgun. Phillips is under three felony indictments for possession of drugs from October and December 2019.
Three other men were indicted by the grand jury for theft.
Jeffery Laughlin, 63, Mount Vernon, was indicted for theft, a fifth-degree felony of $5,657.33 from a retail store. James Schaade, 31, Mansfield, was indicted for theft of a license plate, a fifth-degree felony, and receiving stolen property, a trailer, a first-degree misdemeanor. Christopher Strange, 19, Fredericktown, was indicted for theft of a credit card, a fifth-degree felony, and misuse of credit cards, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Other indictments issued by Monday’s grand jury were: Joseph Ball, 29, Mount Vernon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony; Shane England, 41, Centerburg, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony; Joshua Fincher, 36, Glenmont, two counts of having weapons while under disability, third-degree felonies; Trevor Hagans, 31, Mount Vernon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, and falsification, a first-degree misdemeanor; Ricky Matthews, 37, Danville, aggravated possession of drugs, fifth-degree felony; Stephanie Moore, 36, Centerburg, passing bad checks, a fifth-degree felony; Melodie Renfrow, 48, Mount Vernon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony; Amanda Williams, 23, Mount Vernon, two counts of illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a detention facility, third-degree felonies, and violating a protection order, a first-degree misdemeanor.