Minford man apprehended after manhunt in Pike County
A Minford man originally believed to be the victim of a shooting was arrested Thursday on multiple charges after authorities searched for him for parts of two days.
Pike County Sheriff Tracy D. Evans reports that on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at approximately 3 p.m., the Pike County Sheriff’s Office 911 received several calls regarding a male subject running from individuals in a wooded area on Croley Road in Beaver. This male was running from individuals who allegedly possessed firearms and were shooting at the subject.
Pike County Sheriff’s Deputies, Ohio State Highway Patrol Aviation, Waverly Police K-9, the Pike County Prosecutor’s Office, Piketon 400 FD, Pike County Adult Probation and the Southern Ohio Major Crimes Task Force all engaged in a search for this male subject, later identified as Matthew “Nathan” Mullins, 38, of Minford. The search continued into the early morning hours of Thursday, Nov. 30.
On Thursday at 11:51 a.m., calls were received reporting that Mullins was seen running off road near the 3000 block of state Route 335 along a fence line toward a wooded area. Ohio State Highway Patrol Aviation and Piketon 400 FD Drone were used in the attempt to locate Mullins.
At the time, information was received that Mullins had been allegedly shot and was a victim running from individuals with the firearms. Law enforcement agencies remained in the area as the search continued.
At 5:11 p.m., a call came into the Sheriff’s Office that Mullins had been seen and located again near the 3000 block of state Route 335. Pike County deputies arrived on the scene, where they discovered that Mullins had allegedly stolen a Kubota and was attempting to leave the area.
Mullins was taken into custody without any further incident. After he was apprehended and identified, it was discovered that he was wanted for failure to appear on felony, drug charges, larceny and petty theft from multiple surrounding counties.
Mullins will be incarcerated with pending additional charges of felony theft and breaking and entering. This will be an ongoing investigation by the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Evans would like to thank all agencies and the citizens of state Route 335 in Beaver for their assistance in this apprehension.