Williams County grand jury returns attempted murder indictment

BRYAN — A Williams County grand jury here has returned indictments against a number of persons, including a Bryan man charged attempting to cause the death of another person.

Jacob Pettit, 39, is charged with attempted murder, a first-degree felony; two counts of strangulation, second- and third-degree felonies; and domestic violence, a fourth-degree felony.

The indictment alleges that on Feb. 3 he attempted to cause the death of another person, and caused serious physical harm and the substantial risk of such harm through strangulation.

The domestic violence charge alleges that he caused, or attempted to cause, physical harm to a family or household member, having been convicted previously of domestic violence.

Also indicted were:

• Alexander Kendall, 48, Bryan, for aggravated trafficking in drugs (methamphetamine) and aggravated possession of drugs (methamphetamine), each a first-degree felony.

• Elijah Ferguson, 29, Stryker, for burglary, a second-degree felony. He allegedly trespassed in an occupied structure in the 800 block of Stryker’s Maple Street.

• William Harp, 31, Toledo, for aggravated trafficking in drugs (methamphetamine), a second-degree felony; aggravated possession of drugs (methamphetamine), a second-degree felony; possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony; possession of LSD, a fifth-degree felony; and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

• Jared Johnson, 39, Bryan, for burglary, a second-degree felony. He allegedly trespassed in an occupied structure in the 800 block of Bryan’s East Wilson Street.

• Eric Martin, 25, Van Wert, for strangulation, a second-degree felony; disrupting public services, a fourth-degree felony; and domestic violence, a first-degree misdemeanor. The charges allege that on Feb. 27 he caused serious physical harm to another person by means of strangulation or suffocation, prevented use of a phone to call 911 and caused, or attempted to cause, physical harm to a family or household member.

• Shane Leininger, 34, 1222 Schultz St., Defiance, for strangulation, a third-degree felony; and two counts of domestic violence, each a fourth-degree felony. The indictment alleges that on Feb. 13 he caused a substantial risk of serious physical harm to another person by means of strangulation or suffocation, and caused, or attempted to cause, physical harm to a family or household member, having been convicted previously of domestic violence.