Man arrested after Monday night incident

VW independent staff

An out-of-state man is facing criminal charges locally, in connection with an incident near the Van Wert city limits.

On Monday, October 19, Van Wert County deputies arrested Rodney Barnswell, 41, of Folcroft, Pennsylvania, for burglary, a felony of the second degree. The arrest was made at a residence in Ridge Township. 

According to information from the Van Wert County Sheriff’s Office, Barnswell was suffering from what appeared to be a serious self-inflicted injury and was transported to a hospital in Lima, before being transferred to a hospital in Columbus for treatment.

No other information has been released by the Sheriff’s Office, but other sources said Barnswell had walked away from a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility on Lincoln Highway. Scanner traffic indicated along with the burglary, there was at least one attempted break-in to a vehicle. Scanner traffic also indicated that Barnswell was the subject of a search that stretched all the way to Stripe Rd., and included a K-9 unit and drones. The Sheriff’s Office, the Van Wert Police Department and the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol were at the site of his arrest.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the incident remains under investigation and additional charges could be filed.