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A multi-agency investigation in Warren County arrested David Williams, left, and Janet Ellis, in connection with a string of burglaries in the area. The pair are expected to be charged with a total of 32 counts of breaking and entering. Photo/Middletown City Jail

A multi-agency investigation in Butler and Warren County has arrested two suspects wanted in a string of smash-and-grab burglaries in the area.

David Williams, 43, and Janet Ellis, 18, both of Middletown, have been charged with nine counts of breaking and entering in connection with burglaries in the Middletown area last week.

The pair are expected to be charged with a total of 32 counts of breaking and entering as other jurisdictions file charges, according to Middletown police officials.

• Police: Two dozen Warren Co. businesses burglarized in past week

The multi-agency investigation formed after the string of burglaries involving two dozen businesses in the past week.

The latest burglaries in Warren County occurred during the early morning hours Tuesday, when four businesses in Mason were struck. Additional burglaries were reported last week in Monroe, Middletown, Lebanon and Franklin Township.

Most took place between overnight hours at small businesses in strip malls without alarms. In each of the cases, a suspect shattered glass entry doors and windows with rocks and grabbed cash out of the registers, said Warren County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon Lacy.

After a Tuesday news conference at the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, similar burglaries were reported in Fairfield Township, said Lacy.  The suspects were arrested around midnight Sunday following additional burglaries that occurred that evening in Loveland, he said.

MasonBuzz will update this story

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: burglaries, crime, david williams, janet ellis, mason, middletown, warren county

Janice Morse reports:

An appeals court is considering whether a detective’s alleged pattern of lying tainted the entire case against Ryan Widmer, a Warren County man convicted of murder in the 2008 bathtub drowning of his wife, Sarah.

The Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals on Tuesday heard arguments on the second of two appeals that Widmer is pursuing as he attempts to get his 2011 conviction overturned. That conviction came during Widmer’s third trial, following two controversial mistrials. He’s serving 15 years to life in prison.

Tuesday’s arguments focused on allegations that authorities improperly withheld information calling into question the credibility of the lead investigator on the case, Jeff Braley, who resigned from the Hamilton Township Police Department last year after an independent investigator said the township had reason to question his honesty.

• Read Widmer’s appeal

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An assistant prosecutor and Widmer’s appellate attorney each had 15 minutes to argue their points in court.

Michele Berry,Widmer’s lawyer, told the appeals judges that Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson “really went astray” when he characterized Braley as a minor trial witness . Regardless of Braley’s testimony during the trial, his role affected the entire course of the investigation, Berry asserts, and his alleged “pattern of lying,” dating to 1997, is reason to doubt the integrity of the investigation.

Bronson barred Widmer’s lawyers from grilling Braley about his credibility, including documents asserting he held a master’s degree from two colleges that say he never attended. Berry asserts that authorities knew about these alleged falsehoods and others but withheld that information from Widmer’s lawyers.

Armed with that information, Widmer’s lawyers would have been able to pursue a different trial strategy, Berry said; they would have argued that the case, from its premise, was tainted because of Braley’s involvement. Even before Braley declared the Widmer home a crime scene, Braley had given the county coroner information that he relied upon to declare Sarah Widmer’s death a homicide, Berry said.

(more…)

Posted in: Crime, News, Widmer Trial |

Tags: Tags: cancer, dead, dies, judge, middletown, mike allen, ohio 12th district court of appeals, rachel hutzel, ryan widmer, sarah widmer, warren county, warren county prosecutor

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Visitation will be held today for former Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel who lost her battle with cancer over the weekend.

She will lie in state 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the rotunda at the Warren County Administration Building, 406 Justice Dr., Lebanon

A mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Francis DeSales Catholic Church, 20 DeSales Ave. also in Lebanon.

Hutzel, 56, was a judge on the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals. She served as Warren County Prosecutor from 2002 until she was elected to the court of appeals last year.

She was the first woman on the 12th District appeals bench and the first female Warren County Prosecutor.

Hutzel and her husband, Jeff Blazey, had one son, Matt Blazey.

As prosecutor, her profile rose during the highly publicized Ryan Widmer murder trial. Widmer’s wife, Sarah, died in a bathtub drowning in 2008 at their Hamilton Township home.

In 2009, Widmer’s first jury convicted him of murder, but Judge Neal Bronson threw out the verdict because of juror misconduct.

Widmer’s second prosecution ended in a mistrial in 2010. He was found guilty in a third trial in 2011.

That verdict is being appealed.

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: cancer, dead, dies, judge, middletown, ohio 12th district court of appeals, rachel hutzel, ryan widmer, sarah widmer, visitation, warren county, warren county administration building, warren county prosecutor

Paul McKibben reports:

Judge Rachel Hutzel’s legacy in Warren County will reach far beyond the courtrooms where she worked.

When children look into the heavens with a telescope at Camp Joy, they’ll be doing so at the Rachel Hutzel Observatory, which is scheduled to built next year. An opening date has not been set.

Hutzel and her husband, Jeff Blazey, donated the telescope for the observatory. Blazey, an engineer and an amateur astronomer, built the 12-foot long instrument, except the lens and some parts, during the winter of 2009. He proposed donating last year; the donation was made before Hutzel died Saturday of cancer at age 56.

The observatory’s team met on Aug. 18 – a week before Hutzel’s death – to select a name for it.

Warren County Commissioner Pat South, a close friend, said naming the observatory after Hutzel “brought a tear to my eye.”

“She loved this project,” South said. “It’s probably one of those projects that only come around once in a lifetime and to actually see something like this possibly come to fruition here in Warren County, I know that she was just very excited.”

Hutzel was a judge on the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals (2011-12) and a former Warren County prosecutor (2002-2011). She was the first woman on the 12th District appeals bench and the first woman Warren County prosecutor.

She had the vision for the project early last year, according to the website, warrensky.org. So far, more than $30,000 has been raised for the observatory. Organizers need $120,000. The family asks memorials be directed to the Observatory Fund, Area Progress Council of Warren County, P.O. Box 802, Lebanon, OH 45036.

South said it seems appropriate and indicative of “the true public servant that she was for her last public showing to be on government property.”

David Fornshell succeeded Huztel as Warren County prosecutor. He issued a statement Saturday.

“Rachel was a dedicated public servant and a tenacious fighter to the end,’’ he said. “Although Rachel and I were on the opposite sides of various political battles, we shared a passion for protecting the citizens of Warren County.”

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: astronomy, camp joy, cancer, dead, dies, judge, middletown, ohio 12th district court of appeals, rachel hutzel, rachel hutzel observatory, ryan widmer, sarah widmer, warren county, warren county prosecutor

Jan. 2008: Dr. Russell Uptegrove (l-r), Warren County Coroner; Rachel Hutzel, Warren County Prosecutor; and Ron Ferrell, Mason Police Chief, discuss the status of the case of the five deaths at 4587 Brackenview Court at a press conference in Mason.

John Johnston reports:

Posted in: News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: cancer, dead, dies, judge, middletown, mike allen, ohio 12th district court of appeals, rachel hutzel, ryan widmer, sarah widmer, warren county, warren county prosecutor

Sheila McLaughlin reports:

One of the region’s most notorious sex offenders was out of prison seven months when he was accused of exposing himself to children again.

Michael Hamblin’s repeated arrests for the same behavior sparked a change in the state law that increased the penalties for a third public indecency charge, increased the offense to a felony, and made it more difficult for suspects to get out on bail.

The latest alleged incident occurred July 17 at Smith Park in Middletown, where Hamblin was accused of exposing himself to a mother and her children and a man and his granddaughter at the docks at the park.

A Butler County grand jury indicted Hamblin Wednesday on a fifth-degree felony charge of public indecency, an offense that carries six months to a year in prison.

He’s already back in state prison for violating parole, a spokesman for Ohio’s prison system said, while he faces the Butler County charge. Hamblin is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Aug. 29 before Judge Michael Sage in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

The mother of Nicole Robertson, the West Chester girl after whom the changed state law was named in 2007, is livid that Hamblin was out of prison early.

“You have got to be kidding me. I thought he was in for six years. When is it going to stop? He’s going to hurt somebody,” said Lori Robertson.

Nicole, who was 9 at the time Hamblin exposed himself to her at Kohl’s department store in West Chester in 2005, is entering her sophomore year in high school. Her mother said she was upset by the news that Hamblin allegedly was at it again and that he was out of prison.

Hamblin was in fact sentenced to nearly six years in prison in 2008 when he was found guilty of trying to entice a group of 6- and 7-year-old girls into the woods to look for flying squirrels at Heritage Oak Park in Mason. He was only out of prison six weeks when that happened. Police found a hunting knife, latex gloves and binoculars in Hamblin’s pickup truck.

(more…)

Posted in: Crime, Deerfield Twp., News |

Tags: Tags: butler county common pleas court, child enticement, crime, deerfield township, heritage park, judge michael sage, kohl's, lori robertson, mason, michael hamblin, middletown, molestation, monroe, nicole robertson, public indecency, sex offender, wal-mart, west chester

Cliff Peale reports:

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: college, dayton, expansion, foundation, mason, middletown, sinclair community college, sinclair courseview, stress engineering, warren county

Mason football coach Brian Castner directs the Comets in a preseason practice. He’s in his third year with the program. The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger / The Cincinnati Enquirer

Kevin Goheen reports:

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: andrew hauser, brian castner, coach, colerain, comets, corey quallen, darryl johnson, elijah nkanseh, football, gary popvich, gmc, greater miami conference, high school, mason, mason high school, middletown, randy anderson, sports, steve specht

Paul McKibben reports:

A Monroe man already convicted of misdemeanor sexual imposition charges in Mason and Middletown is now facing a felony charge of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in connection with an incident last September at Dave & Buster’s involving a 13-year-old girl.

Ismael Morales-Reyes,43, had a relationship with girl where he purchased her a present and exchanged numerous text messages and phone calls, according to court documents.

He admitted to Middletown police last October that his relationship with the girl was inappropriate.

Police said Ismael is a family friend and a member of the girl’s father’s church, police said.

Ismael also admitted to Middletown police to sending sexual text messages to the victim, according to court documents. He admitted going into a video game booth with the girl, but denied touching her.

He said he would drive to the girl’s house after school to see her before her parents arrived home, according to court documents. Police said the victim told them Morales-Reyes exposed himself to her at their church and inappropriately touched her multiple times.

Police said Ismael bought the girl a ring and would take her and her friends out frequently.

According to phone records Middletown Police obtained, Morales-Reyes and the girl exchanged 345 text messages and 36 phone calls for 426 minutes between Oct. 19 and Oct. 22.

Morales-Reyes was arraigned Tuesday in Hamilton County Municipal Court. He was being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center on a $100,000 bond. His case was sent to a Hamilton County grand jury.

Morales-Reyes has been convicted of misdemeanor sexual imposition charges in Mason and Middletown since November, according to court records.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: courts, crime, ismael morales-reyes, mason, middletown, monroe, sexual conduct, sexual imposition, teen

JD Sprague

Tom Groeschen reports:

Mason kept alive its hopes for a share of the 2012 Greater Miami Conference boys’ basketball championship Friday night, as the Comets beat visiting Middletown 66-55.

Senior guard J.D. Sprague led Mason with 28 points and six assists, senior forward Darin Harris scored 13, and senior forward Mike Van Kleunen scored 10. Harris had seven rebounds, as did senior guard Tim Reale. Reale also had six assists.

Middletown (14-5, 11-2 GMC) already has clinched at least a share of the league title. For Middletown, it is the program’s first GMC title since the 1994-95 season.

Mason (16-3, 10-3 GMC) squared its season series with the Middies, who won the teams’ first meeting 72-58 at Middletown in December.

Middletown was led by sophomore forward Vincent Edwards with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Geovonie McKnight had 18 points and senior guard Zach Edwards scored 10 for the Middies.

Middletown still can win the GMC title outright when the Middies play at Colerain (8-9 overall entering Friday) in their final regular season game next week. Mason also will be favored in its final regular season game, at Oak Hills (7-10 entering Friday) next week.

Mason entered Friday’s game tied for second (with Lakota West) in the league, two games behind Middletown.

Middletown entered Friday with a five-game winning streak.

The Middies are ranked No. 3 and Mason is No. 4 in The Enquirer Division I area coaches poll.

Middletown played without 6-6 sophomore center Chance Sorrell, who usually starts for the Middies. Sorrell suffered a lower leg injury in Tuesday’s 81-79 win over Princeton.

Mason led 36-31 at halftime, as a large Senior Night crowd watched

Mason rushed to an early 10-0 lead and never trailed in the first half, as the Comets’ noisy student section shouted approval. The students, as they always do at Mason games, filled an entire end zone behind one of the baskets.

Middletown did fight back to tie the game on three occasions before halftime, before Mason pulled back out for the five-point halftime lead.

Sprague had 16 first-half points and Harris had 12 for Mason.

For Middletown, Vincent Edwards had 16 points in the first half and McKnight scored eight.

Mason led 47-42 after three quarters. Middletown twice drew within one points in the third quarter but could not forge ahead.

Middletown did not score for almost the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, as Mason extended its lead to 50-42. Mason led 53-44 with 3:26 left, and Middletown could not get closer.

Middletown (14-5, 11-2 GMC) – Z. Edwards 4 1 10, V. Edwards 8 1 20, Marshall 2 0 4, McKnight 6 6 18, Holdbrook 1 0 3. Totals: 21 8 55.

Mason (16-3, 10-3) – Sprague 9 7 28, Reale 2 0 4, Harris 4 1 13, Van Kleunen 4 2 10, McVey 3 1 7, Matula 0 2 2, Niehoff 1 0 2. Totals: 23 13 66.

Halftime: Mason 36-31. 3-pointers: Midd 5 (V. Edwards 3, Z. Edwards, Holdbrook); Mas 7 (Harris 4, Sprague 3).

Posted in: Sports, Winter Sports |

Tags: Tags: boys basketball, comets, darin harris, geovonie mcknight, gmc, jd sprague, mason, middletown, mike van kleunen, tim reale, varsity basketball, vincent edwards