Duo arrested on mayor's tour appear in court

6/16/2007

A couple found naked in a West Toledo shed during Mayor Carty Finkbeiner's weekly van tour appeared in court yesterday after being arrested on warrants.

Michael Simmons, 36, of 2621 West Alexis Rd., was released on recognizance bonds, some supervised, in four cases in Toledo Municipal Court.

His girlfriend, Marleen Mettler, 33, who told Lucas County jail officials she is homeless, was moved to the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio, Stryker, to serve a modified, 15-day sentence in a traffic case.

She also received a supervised recognizance bond on a misdemeanor case and a stay on a 30-day sentence on another misdemeanor case.

The duo were found Thursday in a shed behind the West Alexis address when the mayor and his staff went there in response to a complaint of drugs, prostitution, and nuisance issues.

Mr. Simmons' father apparently lives at the house, which has other owners. A neighbor told police the father is trying to buy the residence.

The van tour first took officials to the 4000 block of Elmhurst Avenue to check a nuisance property. The mayor saw two vehicles with expired license plates that appeared not to have been moved for quite some time, his spokesman said.

While there, officials learned the vehicles' owner, David Beddoes, had a warrant for failure to appear in court for another nuisance property. He was issued a summons to appear in court.

That's when an officer told the mayor of complaints at the West Alexis address. Vice/narcotics told the officer about the location and asked if she could address the nuisance issues.

The van tour headed there. An officer knocked on the door of the house, which appeared open and lived in. No one answered, so they walked around back to the shed, where an officer opened the door and found the couple.