SIDNEY — William K Blankenship, 19, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m. after he turned himself in to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
He was wanted in connection with an assault and robbery of a woman Wednesday morning.
On Sept. 23, 2015, at around 12:30 a.m. a 38-year-old female was walking in the 100 block of N. Walnut Ave., Sidney, when three male subjects wearing hoodies and sock hats approached her. All three were armed with what appeared to be handguns and demanded the victim’s property. The victim attempted to call the police using her cell phone.
“At that time they struck her over the face and head area with either a weapon or a metal object, causing serious fractures to her face, her jaw, her nose and chin. It was a brutal attack,” Sidney Police Chief William Balling said. The victim was transported to Wilson Health for treatment.
Early Wednesday afternoon investigators from the Sidney police department received investigative leads that led to the identity of the three individuals who were involved and information to the location the suspects were staying at. As a result the tactical response teams from Sidney, Piqua and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office were deployed and executed a search warrant at 233 ½ N. West Ave. in Sidney.
At that time two of three suspects were taken into custody. Arrested were Skyler J. Reynolds, age 19, who resides at 331 Michigan St., Sidney and a 17-year-old male juvenile from Sidney. Both were charged with one count of aggravated robbery, a felony of the first degree. Reynolds is incarcerated at the Shelby County Jail and the juvenile is being held at West Central Detention Facility in Troy.
Reynolds was to appear in Sidney Municipal Court Thursday morning.
Officers and investigators executed a search warrant at Blankenship’s residence, 827 S. Ohio Ave., but discovered that he had left the residence prior to officers’ arrival.
An arrest warrant was issued out of the Sidney Municipal Court for Blankenship. He has now been charged with one count of aggravated robbery, a felony of the first degree. He is incarcerated at the Shelby County Jail.
The Sidney Police Department would like to extend their appreciation to all the citizens that called the department with information regarding his believed whereabouts. Anyone that may have information regarding the incident is encouraged to call the Sidney Police Department at 937-498-2351.
