Barn fire near Napoleon kills 61-year-old woman

7/29/2001

NAPOLEON -- A 61-year-old woman died yesterday in a barn fire at 14816 Road T in Henry County's Napoleon Township, about 1 1/2 miles north of here, Sheriff John Nye said.

The body of Julie Ann Reifers, 61, who lived in quarters in the barn, was found by firefighters after they extinguished the blaze.

Dr. Marek Skoskiewicz, Henry County coroner, asked the Lucas County coroner's office to conduct an autopsy.

Investigators from the state fire marshal's office said the blaze, which was reported about 2:30 a.m., was arson.

They are looking into another barn fire that occurred about an hour earlier at G875 County Rd. 7 in the county's Marion Township, about 15 miles from the other fire. Investigators are checking to see whether the two fires are related.

TIFFIN -- A man and a toddler suffered burns and smoke inhalation yesterday in an apartment fire at 282 South Sandusky St. here, authorities said.

The fire, which was reported about 2:05 p.m., was contained to one apartment, police said.

The man, whose name was not released, was flown to St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, Toledo. The toddler was taken to Mercy Hospital, Tiffin, by an ambulance.

An East Toledo man was arrested last night for assaulting a man, who was found unconscious with a severe head injury Friday in his home in the 600 block of Oak Street.

Frank Peacock, 44, of 1304 Crystal St., who was charged with felonious assault, was being held in the Lucas County jail pending arraignment tomorrow in Toledo Municipal Court.

James J. Gribbin, 42, who was in critical condition last night in St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center, suffered the injury at the Panama Cafe, 1019 Ironwood Ave., early Friday morning. He went home and a relative put him to bed about 3:30 a.m., police said.

When the relative checked on him six hours later, Mr. Gribbin was unconscious, and the relative called paramedics, police said.

SANDUSKY -- Two truck drivers were hurt, one criticially, after their tractor-trailers collided yesterday in a westbound lane of the Ohio Turnpike, the Ohio Highway Patrol said.

The collision occurred about 5:25 a.m., three miles west of the U.S. 250 exit, just after Robert Williams, 51, of Williamsport, Pa., re-entered traffic.

His vehicle, struck from behind by a rig driven by Kevin Honeysett, 48, of Portage, Mich., had been parked alongside the turnpike in an authorized pull-off area, troopers at the patrol's Milan post said.

The men were flown by helicopter to Medical College of Ohio Hospitals. Mr. Honeysett was listed in critical condition yesterday afternoon, and Mr. Williams was listed as fair, a hospital spokesman said.

The men were wearing seat belts, and the accident remains under investigation, troopers said.

A South Toledo man was arrested and an AK-47 assault rifle confiscated late Friday after police received a report of shots being fired near the 100 block of Western Avenue, police said.

Daniel Ochoa, 43, of 259 Sumner St., was charged with unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance, police said.

Large-caliber shell casings were found scattered in the suspect's backyard, and a 40-round magazine that was half-loaded was confiscated, police said.

A 30-year-old woman was robbed of a large sum of money and jewelry in her South Toledo home Friday night by a man with a handgun, police said.

The suspect entered the house of Tiffany Coates, located on Cape Lane, about 9:35 p.m. The robber forced her to open a safe, then fled on foot, police said.