ATHENS COUNTY, OH (WOWK) — Deputies in Athens County, Ohio, arrested a man suspected of breaking into an abandoned residence and trying to steal electrical wire.
The Athens County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) said it got a call about two people breaking into an abandoned home on Spring Street in Glouster around 11:25 p.m. The caller stated the suspects were inside the residence with flashlights, the ACSO said.
Deputies said they arrived on the scene and heard noises coming from the home’s basement. The ACSO said units announced their presence, and a man exited the basement door.
The suspect, Thomas Shafer, 34, of Glouster, Ohio, allegedly did not cooperate with lawful commands before authorities detained him. Deputies said they later learned Shafer was wanted on a felony drug possession warrant in Athens County.
Through further investigation, deputies allegedly found suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in Shafer’s possession. They also found a nearby backpack with newly cut electrical wire and copper tubing, the ACSO said.
Shafer was charged with Breaking and Entering, Theft, and Criminal Damaging. The ACSO said he was taken to Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.
The person who called 911 also told deputies a second suspect fled on foot at the back of the home. The ACSO said they could not find that suspect after searching the area.
