Man, woman arrested after theft complaint

CHILLICOTHE – What started out as a theft call for Chillicothe police turned into a felony arrest on a drug charge for a Waverly man Saturday.

Justin P. McGuire, 35, of 416 Franklin Ave., is charged with two misdemeanor counts of theft and felony charges of tampering with evidence and illegal conveyance of drugs onto the grounds of a detention facility.

It all began when police responded to a complaint at Walmart on River Trace Lane. A loss prevention officer at the store told police a woman was trying to return items stolen earlier.

While police were investigating that claim, the loss prevention officer told police a man who was with the woman was leaving the store. Officer detained McGuire and found a pill bottle on him as well as two bottles of cologne.

The woman, 33-year-old Bobby J. Haven, also of the same address as McGuire in Waverly, was issued a summons for receving stolen property.

But while the police officer was serving Haven with her summons, McGuire grabbed the pill bottle. dumped out the pills and began stomping on them. When he was taken to the Law Enforcement Complex on the earlier charges, a jail officer found pieces of a yellow pill in McGuire’s mouth.

Police found pills in Haven’s purse as well. The pills from both Haven and McGuire were sent to the state crime lab to be identified. McGuire was held pending arraignment. Haven was released.