Task force arrests 16 fugitives in Toledo area

Officers locate 8 others already in jail, prison

7/20/2012

Twenty-one years of life on the lam ended Wednesday for Shawn Wetzel when police arrested her at her Toledo home.

Ms. Wetzel, 42, was one of 16 people arrested by the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force during a Wood County warrant sweep, U.S. Deputy Marshal Christopher Hodge said.

Ms. Wetzel was arrested on a Wood County probation violation for a felony forgery charge that, according to Wood County Common Pleas Court records, dates to 1991. She was also wanted in Lucas County for stolen property, Deputy Marshal Hodge said.

She was held Thursday in the Wood County jail pending a county common pleas court appearance Monday.

"She had said she kind of knew it was coming," Deputy Marshal Hodge said. "She didn't think it would take 21 years for it to come."

Two teams of six people began serving warrants to Toledo residents wanted in Wood County at 6 a.m. Wednesday and made their last arrest about 4 p.m.

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In addition to the 16 arrests, officers located eight other people already being held in either Ohio or Indiana jails or prisons.

"All things said and done, we arrested or located 24 felons wanted by Wood County in less than 10 hours or so," Deputy Marshal Hodge said.

Officers arrested people wanted for charges including drug crimes, probation violations, child support, commercial prostitution, promoting prostitution, and receiving stolen property.

One of top targets was Cemel Burnion, 39, who was arrested for engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, Deputy Marshal Hodge said.

"He wasn't the funnest to deal with," he said. "We had to breach his door with the ram and make a tactical entry."

He said the task force did not arrest everyone it has its sights on, but will "adopt" some of those cases and will "actively seek them."

Deputy Marshal Hodge said the sweep was a sort of task-force welcoming for a Wood County deputy who joined the unit about a month ago. "Now that Wood County is assigned to the task force, the people before that would sit around with Wood County arrest warrants and not get picked up, essentially, we're coming for them now," Deputy Marshal Hodge said. "My advice is for people who are wanted in Wood County to start turning themselves in."

Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn credited the sweep's success to working relationships among multiple law enforcement agencies.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at: tdungjen@theblade.com, 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @tdungjen_Blade.