Weekend in Review: Roethlisberger reaction, On the Town, Toledo burglaries

4/19/2010

It was an exciting expedition in support of a worthwhile cause. An Evening with Toledo Children's Hospital's “Going Wild for Kids!,” presented by the TCH foundation, was held recently at the Hilton Garden Inn at Levis Commons. Animal prints, stuffed animals, exotic cocktails, and tempting treats enhanced a fun-filled evening with oodles of time for mingling. The Toledo School for the Arts steel drum band greeted guests as they arrived and provided the perfect background beat.

PHOTO GALLERY: OTT: Hospital supports go on a 'safari' April 18, 2010

The state of Georgia's monthlong investigation into a rape accusation leveled against Ben Roethlisberger uncovered an allegation by a second woman that the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback forced himself upon her. The incident allegedly occurred during a party at Roethlisberger's house in central Georgia.

A Garfield Heights, Ohio, man is in the Lucas County jail after leading Indiana and Ohio troopers on a chase Saturday along the toll roads that ended with his arrest near Toledo Express Airport, authorities said. Michael Montgomery, 26, is being held without bond on a felony charge of fleeing and a felony warrant for an Indiana drug offense. The incident began when an Indiana trooper stopped Mr. Montgomery for speeding on the Indiana Toll Road and tried to arrest him on a drug offense.

Rachel Parrish was upstairs when an intruder broke in and got away with a flat-screen television, laptop computer, and stereo from the Platt Street home she shares with her boyfriend and two small children. The 25-year-old East Toledo resident believes the burglar got in through a side window and hid in her basement as she called police to report the crime on April 5. He left the back door open when he fled. Now, her children are afraid to sleep in their own beds. And the family is considering leaving the city. "We are to the point where we do not feel safe in our home," said Ms. Parrish, whose garage had been broken into at an earlier date.

Toledo police are seeking information through the Crime Stopper program on the identity of a woman suspected of stealing from a West Toledo store. A surveillance video shows a woman at The Andersons store at 4701 Talmadge Rd. putting a set of speakers in her purse about 8:10 p.m. April 2. When a security officer tried to intervene as the woman went to leave the store, she pushed him out of the way.

Walk into Tony's Restaurant and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is as big as ever. Customers are greeted by an autographed Steelers jersey and other assorted memorabilia commemorating the Findlay High graduate and his pro football glory. Still featured on the menu is the Big Ben Burger, a pound of ground beef, lettuce, tomato, and Tony's barbeque sauce on a five-inch bun for $7 -in honor of Roethlisberger's No. 7 jersey. Cheese costs seven cents.

Jerome "Ski" Wiczynski vowed to keep watch over his North Toledo home until the intruders who had been stealing from him were caught. Last month, the 81-year-old was shot and robbed while sleeping in his Jeep Wrangler outside his East Pearl Street house, and now his family members are just as intent on finding his assailants. They are offering a $5,000 reward on top of the reward available through the Toledo Crime Stopper program.