Police say a meet-up that started on social media ended in gunfire on Hamilton Avenue, after two teenage girls reported that a North College Hill man picked them up, brought them to his home, gave them marijuana and then tried to grope them. When one of the teens shoved him away, the girls told officers the man pulled a gun and fired two shots as they bolted from the house. The allegations quickly drew a heavy police response and a slate of criminal charges.
Police: Teens met suspect through social media
According to investigators, the 16- and 17-year-old girls met the man on social media and were picked up at a Walgreens before being driven to his Hamilton Avenue residence. There, the teens allege, he provided marijuana and touched them under their clothing. Authorities identified the suspect as David Hambrick and say he is facing charges that include gross sexual imposition, sexual battery, aggravated menacing, interference with custody, contributing to the delinquency of a child and discharging a firearm. Officers reported finding four firearms, spent shell casings and marijuana at the home, as reported by WKRC Local 12.
What the charges mean
Several of the counts listed against Hambrick are felonies under Ohio law. Gross sexual imposition and sexual battery involve nonconsensual touching or sexual contact and can bring prison time that varies based on the victim’s age and other circumstances. Contributing to the delinquency of a child and discharging a firearm are separate offenses that prosecutors can pursue in addition to any sex-crime counts. Ohio spells out the elements and penalties for gross sexual imposition in its criminal code; see Ohio Revised Code section 2907.05 for details.
Court and next steps
Hambrick’s attorney has denied the allegations in court and reportedly pushed for a lower bond, but a judge set bond at $15,000 and the case remains active in local court. Investigators say their work on the case is ongoing and officials are asking anyone with additional information to contact police, per WKRC Local 12.
