NEWS

Police: Fleeing man had suspected cocaine

Gazette staff

CHILLICOTHE – A Richmond Dale man wanted on several warrants also could face drug charges after he was allegedly caught Wednesday with what he said were rocks of cocaine, the Chillicothe Police Department reported.

File photo

Michael A. Owes, 29, was standing on East Second Street just before 3 a.m. when a police officer, who knows him, ran his name and discovered he had three active warrants through Ross County Juvenile Court and another one for failure to appear in court on a charge of obstructing official business, according to a police incident report.

When the officer started walking toward him, Owes ran into an apartment in a home in the first block of East Second Street, locking the door behind him, according to the report.

Multiple officers responded to the address and surrounded the home. The officer who had first approached Owes knew there were two exits in the rear of the home, so he went to the back and found Owes hiding in a cellar area, the report states.

After Owes was taken into custody without incident, police found in one of his pockets a $1 bill that contained multiple small white rocks that officers reported appeared to be cocaine, which Owes confirmed, the report states.

Owes reportedly said he ran from the officer because he knew he was wanted. In addition to being served the four warrants, he was charged with obstructing official business. The suspected cocaine was sent for testing for possible additional charges, the report states.