Dover man accused of roughing up ding-dong ditch prankster gets probation
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (February 14, 2023) – A 61-year-old Dover man will pay court costs, undergo mental health treatment, and spend a year on probation after being accused of roughing up a 13-year-old who pulled a ding-dong-ditch prank on him just before Halloween.
The man earlier this month pleaded no contest to a charge of unlawful restraint, a third-degree misdemeanor, in New Philadelphia Municipal Court. Magistrate Christine Weimer, with Judge Nan Von Allman’s approval, found him guilty of that charge and dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge. His penalties include $487 in costs, including a $360 standard fee for probation supervision.
Dover police say on Oct. 22 last year the man chased down the boy who rang his doorbell, forced him into his house to get a cell phone to call police, shoved him on the concrete, and placed his foot on the boy’s back and neck area.
The court suspended a 60-day jail sentence as long as the man abides by a 12-month probation agreement that includes mental health treatment and avoiding harassing or violent behavior.