A Zanesfield man was arrested early Saturday morning, Feb. 22, following a reported attempted theft that led to the discharge of a firearm at a rural residence.
Jacob A. Field, 33, was arrested and taken to the Logan County Jail after deputies said he discharged a firearm in an unsafe manner.
Deputies were dispatched at about 3:40 a.m. to the 8900 block of Township Road 177 after a caller reported someone attempting to steal a camper while he was inside it. While responding, deputies were advised the caller reported firing a shot at a vehicle he believed was involved, which he said left the area toward State Route 559.
Deputies noted light snow had been falling for several hours and that roadways were snow-covered. Upon arriving in the area, deputies observed no tire tracks in the snow between the residence and the state route, nor any tracks indicating a vehicle had traveled away from the property.
Field was found pacing in the driveway holding a closed folding knife. He told deputies he was the person who fired the shot and advised that he was armed. Deputies removed and secured multiple weapons from Field before continuing the investigation.
Weapons recovered and secured by deputies included a Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun; a Palmetto State Armory AR-style rifle chambered in 7.62 with a scope; a Taurus TX .22 handgun; a Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun; and a Ruger 10/22 .22-caliber rifle, along with multiple magazines and ammunition.
Field told deputies he fired a “warning shot” after seeing what he believed to be a vehicle moving in the area without lights. He later told deputies the shot was fired from inside the camper through a window. Deputies observed a broken window, broken glass on the floor, and a spent shell casing inside the camper.
Field told deputies he had been in bed inside the camper when he heard movement outside and saw the blinds move. He said items inside the camper briefly shifted and that when he opened the door, he did not see anyone.
Field told deputies he believed a vehicle may have been nearby and said he heard engine noise and movement outside the camper. He told deputies he didn’t see anything, but that every time he went back inside the trailer he could hear gravel move.
Relatives who reside on the property told deputies they reviewed security camera footage following the incident but did not observe any clear evidence of suspicious activity beyond a brief, indistinct blur. They said they were awakened by dogs barking and later received a call from Field reporting the incident.
Relatives told deputies they were not aware of any prior similar incidents.
Deputies said the statements, combined with the discharge of a firearm and the proximity of nearby homes, raised public-safety concerns.
During the investigation, deputies also located two five-gallon gas cans inside the camper and noted several homes are located within a short distance in the direction the shot was fired.
Jail staff were notified of the circumstances of the arrest, and deputies requested a mental health evaluation prior to his release as a precaution.
All firearms recovered during the investigation were secured by deputies.
DeGraff man arrested for OVI after crash
A DeGraff man was arrested early Saturday, Feb. 22, on an operating a vehicle under the influence and/or drugs after the pickup truck he was driving struck a parked vehicle in Quincy.
Deputies report Noah J. Baker, 22, was taken into custody after the non-injury crash at 317 Carlisle St.
Deputies responded about 2:30 a.m. after the Ford F-150 Barker was driving struck a parked vehicle and continued south before stopping near Jefferson Street. The pickup was located facing southbound in the northbound lane on Carlisle Street, the report states.
The damaged vehicle’s owner told deputies she believed Baker was intoxicated and that the her truck’s — a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado — position prevented the Baker’s pickup from going into her house.
According to the report, Baker acknowledged he had been drinking and said he had gone to the Sunoco in Quincy to get more alcohol before swerving off the road and striking the parked vehicle. The deputy reported observing slurred speech and glossy eyes while speaking with Baker.
Standard field sobriety tests were conducted at the scene, and the report states Baker showed multiple indicators of impairment during the tests.
Baker was arrested and transported to the Logan County Jail. He consented to a breath test, which registered a blood-alcohol concentration was 0.162, more than twice the legal limit.
Deputies reported heavy damage to the driver’s side of the truck consistent with sideswiping a vehicle, and the driver-side mirror was missing. A search of the vehicle did not locate alcohol.
He was cited for OVI and a left-of-center violation, and was given a court date of 9 a.m. Feb. 25.
