35 year old Travis Neer of Lima has made his initial appearance in Mercer County Common Pleas Court. Neer is accused of theft and burglary charges related to a rash of car break-ins in Celina, Coldwater, St Henry and other area towns. Neer faces up to 15 years in prison if he is convicted and over 30-thousand-dollars in fines. Neer will be represented by Mercer County's Public Defender Thomas Lucente. Neer will be back in court on Wednesday November 13th.
To read an affidavit of the alleged crimes:
MERCER COUNTY
Press Release
Several law enforcement agencies in Mercer County report their offices worked cooperatively together and have made an arrest. Saint Henry Police Department, along with officers from Celina Police Department, Coldwater Police Department, and Rockford Police Department have gathered information in recent weeks, involving multiple thefts from vehicles in their jurisdictions. This information identified a suspect from the City of Celina.
Surveillance was conducted on the suspect by the Grand Lake Task Force, Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, and Celina Police Department, which led to a traffic stop and the arrest of a Travis E. Neer (35). Mr. Neer was subsequently booked into the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility for theft. Open cases from all agencies are being forwarded to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office for additional charges.
This is an example of how several agencies, communities, and the public can work together to achieve a common goal. Without the information from the public and cooperation of law enforcement, this arrest would not have been possible. The law enforcement community asks the public to remain vigilant in locking their cars and exterior doors to their residences, as these types of occurrences tend to happen more frequently in the winter months. If anyone has additional information that would assist in this ongoing investigation, please contact your local law enforcement agency.