City Attorney Zach Klein announced that the city of Columbus recently obtained a temporary restraining order to shut down a problem property on the westside of Columbus that has been magnet for violent crime, domestic disturbances, and gun violence.
Columbus Police boarded up the property located at 687 S. Wayne Ave. in the Hilltop.
“Residents, families, and business owners in the Hilltop deserve a safe, vibrant neighborhood free from violent crime and gun violence,” said Klein. “The city is taking aggressive action to shut these problem properties down, hold violent offenders accountable, and promote public health and safety. That remains our top priority.”
According to court documents, the South Wayne Avenue property has seen more than a dozen calls for police or fire service since the end of 2020, including reports of numerous individuals with firearms, shots fired, assault and a stabbing.
In December of 2020, police were dispatched to the premises on report of a disturbance. In April 2021, CPD officers were dispatched to the premises on the report of a person with a gun and also responded to a report of a domestic dispute. That next month, police were dispatched three times on reports of a missing person. In September 2021, CPD was dispatched to the premises on consecutive days on reports of domestic violence, and in October 2021, CPD responded yet again on report of a disturbance involving a person with a gun.
In 2022, CPD was dispatched on reports of shots fired, multiple reports of wanted persons, and the report of a person with a gun.
In April of this year, police were dispatched to the premises again on reports of a domestic dispute, and in June, responded multiple times on reports of a person with a gun, a shooting, and shots fired. One of the shooting incidents resulted in two guns recovered at the scene.
In August, CPD responded to multiple incidents at the premises, including a reported individual in possession of a gun while involved in a domestic dispute. Police also received reports in August involving an individual recklessly operating a four-wheeler on and around the property and the report of a runaway child located at the premises. Last month, police received a complaint of a disturbance involving violence at the premises. The caller stated that she was in the process of moving out of the property and her roommate had punched her car window and threatened her.
According to documents, CPD also received reports of stolen property that had been transported to the premises, including a stolen vehicle. Several individuals fled the scene and were found at a nearby convenience store, where officers recovered a stolen firearm. Officers also located a juvenile inside the vehicle, and after officers spoke with the juvenile’s mother, it was determined she had been a runaway for weeks. Just days later, CPD received a call from a parent that her son was missing and had cut off his ankle monitor and that she believed the juvenile to be at the premises.
“The city is committed to shutting down hubs of criminal activity like this problem property in the Hilltop that posed a serious threat to public safety,” said Assistant City Attorney Kenyatta Wilder. “We continue to urge residents and concerned neighbors who see something to say something so that we can take action to clean up these properties and improve the quality of life in neighborhoods like the Hilltop.”
