NEWS

Escapee could face 16 years

Patrick O'Neill
poneill@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

ZANESVILLE – On Dec. 7, Kenneth R. Johnson robbed a woman of her purse. He was arrested by police a short time later and taken to the municipal jail.

At some point during the evening, Johnson began complaining of arm pain, Zanesville Police Chief Ken Miller said. The 47-year-old's bruised arm was deemed serious enough to warrant a hospital visit.

"We have to follow triage protocol," Miller said. "If it's after hours, normally they'll be sent to the ER. They decided to keep him over night."

Johnson had different plans. At some point in the night, he fled the hospital.

Johnson pleaded guilty Wednesday to several felonies — robbery, theft, tampering with evidence, escape. The charges carry a potential for up to 16 years in prison. Johnson is being held in the county jail on a $200,000 bond until his sentencing next month.

Unlike certain movie portrayals, inmates cannot be handcuffed to hospital beds, Miller said. In certain high-profile cases, the department will station an officer at the hospital, but this wasn't one of those cases.

"The supervisor on call made that decision," Miller said. "The hospital was supposed to call when he was ready to be released."

And so, for the second time in less than 24 hours after the robbery, Johnson was at-large for a felony crime. Escape is defined by either "breaking or attempting to break detention" by the arresting agency. Johnson was still under police custody while he was in the hospital, so the same charges apply as if he'd escaped from the South Street jail.

On Dec. 10, a Clover Street resident called police to report vagrants were squatting in a vacant house. Responding officers arrested Johnson at the home and took him to the municipal jail.

Johnson has amassed 50 charges in Muskingum County since 2001, mostly misdemeanors. His charges have included felonious assault, robbery, domestic violence, carrying a concealed weapon, breaking and entering, and theft. He was convicted of being a fugitive from the law in 2001, resisting arrest in 2004, and fleeing and eluding in 2012.

poneill@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

740-450-6753

Twitter: @PatrickZTR