Case Study: Millersburg
MILLERSBURG — A Wooster man on Tuesday denied criminal charges associated with allegations he took two children from a local residence following a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.
Jayson Z. Harper, 914 Rebecca St., pleaded not guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to two counts of kidnapping and one count each of domestic violence, aggravated menacing, endangering children and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
If convicted of the charges, Harper faces up to 23 ½ years in prison.
The charges stem from a July 4 incident originating at a home along Township Road 466.
It was there, shortly after midnight, Holmes County sheriff's deputies were called by a woman who said she was forced out of a vehicle by her boyfriend,
who had reportedly threatened her with a knife, said Sheriff Timothy W. Zimmerly. Harper reportedly fled the property, where they'd been attending a holiday party, in her vehicle, with her two children, ages 2 and 9, in the back seat.
The process of issuing an Amber Alert had yet to be completed when, using alternative means, the children were found safe in Canton, according to Zimmerly, who said investigators used GPS navigation to track the woman's cell phone, which was in the vehicle.
The cell phone led Canton Police to Harper, who, shortly before 4 a.m., was found sleeping in the stationary vehicle. The children also remained in the vehicle, said Zimmerly. They were released to the custody of their mother, said Zimmerly.
A violent criminal history, coupled with the fact Harper was reportedly armed with a knife, satisfied the criteria for issuance of an Amber Alert, said Zimmerly.
Harper remains incarcerated at the Holmes County Jail, with bond set at $75,000. He is next scheduled to appear in court for a Monday pretrial conference.
Jayson Z. Harper, 914 Rebecca St., pleaded not guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to two counts of kidnapping and one count each of domestic violence, aggravated menacing, endangering children and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
If convicted of the charges, Harper faces up to 23 ½ years in prison.
The charges stem from a July 4 incident originating at a home along Township Road 466.
It was there, shortly after midnight, Holmes County sheriff's deputies were called by a woman who said she was forced out of a vehicle by her boyfriend,
who had reportedly threatened her with a knife, said Sheriff Timothy W. Zimmerly. Harper reportedly fled the property, where they'd been attending a holiday party, in her vehicle, with her two children, ages 2 and 9, in the back seat.
The process of issuing an Amber Alert had yet to be completed when, using alternative means, the children were found safe in Canton, according to Zimmerly, who said investigators used GPS navigation to track the woman's cell phone, which was in the vehicle.
The cell phone led Canton Police to Harper, who, shortly before 4 a.m., was found sleeping in the stationary vehicle. The children also remained in the vehicle, said Zimmerly. They were released to the custody of their mother, said Zimmerly.
A violent criminal history, coupled with the fact Harper was reportedly armed with a knife, satisfied the criteria for issuance of an Amber Alert, said Zimmerly.
Harper remains incarcerated at the Holmes County Jail, with bond set at $75,000. He is next scheduled to appear in court for a Monday pretrial conference.