COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus boarded up a house with a history of violent crime in the Hilltop neighborhood on Wednesday.
According to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, a temporary restraining order was obtained to board up a house located at 687 South Wayne Avenue.
Police have been called to the residence dozens of times since December 2020 for reports of people with firearms, shots fired, assault and a stabbing.
In one of the more recent incidents, Columbus Division of Police officers were called to the house on Aug. 14 on a report of a person with a gun. According to Franklin County Municipal Court records, officers noted that the residents of the house were hostile toward police and when officers talked to the occupants, she said nothing happened and she didn't want their help.
On Sept. 11, officers were called to the house for a report of a stolen U-Haul trailer. An employee with the company said he found it in the back of the house.
Records say a juvenile approached one of the U-Haul employees and said he would return the trailer after he used it to move a car. When the U-Haul employee told the juvenile he couldn't use the trailer, records say the juvenile pulled at his waistband and the employee saw a gun.
“Residents, families and business owners in the Hilltop deserve a safe, vibrant neighborhood free from violent crime and gun violence,” Klein said. “The City is taking aggressive action to shut these problem properties down, hold violent offenders accountable, and promote public health and safety. That remains our top priority.”