A 90-year-old woman hid inside her own home Tuesday morning after a man forced his way in, setting off a chain of events in St. Paris that ended with deputies wrestling a suspect out of a bathtub and fighting to keep him from grabbing a patrol rifle. Champaign County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the 4500 block of Cherry Hill Drive in Johnson Township after the woman called 911 to report a burglary in progress.
According to the Peak of Ohio, the initial 911 call came from the elderly resident, who reported that a man had forced his way into her home. She concealed herself inside the house while the suspect was present, and deputies later located an unoccupied Ford F-150 at the scene. The Urbana Daily Citizen reports the call was logged by dispatchers at approximately 7:55 a.m. Tuesday.
Suspect Fled to a Second Home, Climbed to a Balcony
The truck at the first residence turned out to be more than an abandoned vehicle. Investigators confirmed the F-150 had been reported stolen through the Richmond, Indiana Police Department, matching its VIN to a theft report out of that city, per the Urbana Daily Citizen's reporting. The sheriff's office says the suspect had forced open a door to gain entry to the first residence in St. Paris.
After leaving that first home, the suspect entered a neighboring residence, where he was encountered by a realtor who was inside at the time. The realtor exited the home safely and contacted 911. The suspect then climbed onto a second-story balcony at that residence before deputies caught up with him.
A Struggle Over a Deputy's Rifle
Deputies say the suspect eventually broke away and fled the residence on foot, prompting a pursuit before he was found hiding inside a bathtub behind a closed shower curtain in a bathroom. Deputies gave him numerous verbal commands to exit the tub and comply, but the sheriff's office says he instead charged toward deputies after allegedly failing to comply.
What followed was a physical struggle between the suspect and deputies, during which the sheriff's office says the suspect grabbed a deputy's patrol rifle and attempted to gain control of it. An initial Taser deployment proved ineffective, but deputies successfully deployed Tasers a second time, allowing them to take the suspect into custody.
Charges Reflect Ohio's Elevated Felony Categories
The suspect was identified by the sheriff's office as 37-year-old Timothy B. Cole of Richmond, Indiana. Investigators say Cole allegedly took the Ford F-150, along with additional vehicle keys, from his father's automobile dealership in Indiana before the incident unfolded in Ohio.
Cole was charged with one count of aggravated robbery, two counts of assault on a peace officer, and two counts of burglary. Under Ohio Revised Code § 2911.01(B), attempting to disarm or take control of a firearm from an on-duty law enforcement officer is classified as aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony carrying a potential prison sentence of 3 to 11 years and fines up to $20,000, according to Sabol Mallory. That statute explains why the alleged rifle grab resulted in a robbery charge rather than a simple theft or resisting-arrest count.
The assault charges also carry elevated penalties because they involve law enforcement. Ohio Revised Code § 2903.13(C)(5) elevates assault on a peace officer performing official duties from a misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony, punishable by 6 to 18 months in prison per count, per Smith Law. Similarly, the burglary counts reflect the fact that both homes were occupied or likely to be occupied — under ORC § 2911.12, burglary of an occupied residential structure is a second-degree felony carrying up to 8 years in prison per count, according to the Law Office of Damian A. Billak.
Medical Evaluation and Booking
Cole was evaluated by EMS at the scene but refused treatment. He was later taken to Mercy Health — Urbana Hospital following the Taser deployment and physical altercation before being transported to the Champaign County Sheriff's Office. Mercy Health — Urbana Hospital is Champaign County's only hospital, operating a 25-bed critical access facility with a 13-bed emergency department, according to USACS.
Cole was ultimately transported to Tri-County Regional Jail, a 187-bed regional facility in Mechanicsburg that serves Champaign, Madison, and Union counties for pre-trial and post-arrest detention, per Ohio Prisons. The facility operates under a joint commission rather than a single county sheriff's office. The investigation and the deputies involved fall under Sheriff Chad M. Burroughs, who has led the Champaign County Sheriff's Office since taking office in January 2025.
The case adds to a string of recent felony matters moving through Champaign County's court system. Hoodline previously reported on a Dayton man charged after gunfire hit an Urbana home just a day before Cole's arrest, part of a broader pattern of felony arrests, video arraignments, and detentions at Tri-County Regional Jail this month. Champaign County Municipal Court in Urbana handles initial video arraignments, bond determinations, and preliminary hearings for felony cases before they proceed to grand jury review, according to Peak of Ohio's reporting on local court procedures.
