Dayton man arrested in St. Henry home trespass

CELINA - A 37-year-old Dayton man accused of trespassing in the home of a St. Henry woman while she was present was arrested this week on preliminary charges out of Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

At the time of Casey E.M. Bowman's arrest on Wednesday, he was also reportedly in possession of a stolen truck, a stolen license plate and suspected methamphetamine.

A criminal complaint was filed against Bowman Thursday for one count of trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony; receiving stolen property, a first-degree misdemeanor; aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony; and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.

If convicted, he faces up to four years in prison and a maximum fine of $12,500. An attorney was not immediately listed for him.

Additional or amended charges are possible pending a formal indictment.

Bowman was arrested at about 4:05 p.m. Wednesday, after the Mercer County Sheriff's Office was requested to conduct a welfare check on the unidentified female caller's mother, who lives at a residence in the 2900 block of State Route 119 in St. Henry, a criminal affidavit written by the arresting officer, Sheriff's Deputy Kyle Fink, states.

"The caller had spoken with Casey Bowman who gave indications that he was going there. Bowman has a history of criminal involvements, and the caller was concerned because her mother … owns the residence and lives there," Fink wrote. "Bowman was reported to be driving a red pickup truck."

Upon his arrival to the residence, Fink saw a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck parked in the driveway, the affidavit states. He then went to the front door and knocked several times but received no answer. An unidentified woman then exited a side door of the residence and identified herself as the caller's mother.

"She said that this is her home, and she said that Casey was inside her home and was not invited and not welcome. She was sleeping and he shook her and woke her up," Fink wrote. "He told her not to let the police in and that he was going back to prison. (The woman) said that Casey appeared high and thought that he had narcotics on him."

The property owner then gave authorities consent to enter her home, the affidavit states. Fink and back-up officers then made entry and checked throughout the home but found no one, though it did appear that someone was in the bathroom. They unlocked the bathroom door and located Bowman inside.

"I walked Bowman out to my cruiser and read him his Miranda warnings. While speaking with Casey, he admitted that the red truck was stolen and that there was a 'drug' pipe on the front seat," Fink wrote.

Bowman was then transported to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility, where he remains without bond.

Fink wrote that he was able to confirm later on that a license plate reportedly found in a backpack in the truck was stolen out of Butler County, as well as that the truck he was reportedly driving was stolen out of Montgomery County.

The next court date for Bowman has not been set.

Also this week in Mercer County Common Pleas Court, Karen L. Goettemoeller, 67, Celina, was received a suspended sentence of 180 days in jail pending no criminal conduct for two years on one count of possessing criminal tools, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Goettemoeller was originally indicted in June 2025 on one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a third-degree felony.

She pleaded no contest to a lesser charge in June as a part of a negotiated plea agreement with the state, in which she also agreed to pay $7,658.32 in restitution to the unidentified victim. She was represented in court by attorney Eric Wilson.

Different from a guilty plea, a no contest plea means that Goettemoeller admitted the prosecution had enough information to convict her, but did not admit guilt.

From July 1, 2021, to April 24, 2025, the original indictment alleged, Goettemoeller deprived an unidentified elderly victim of property or services worth $7,658.32.