Men face kidnap, burglary charges

LISBON - One man is in custody and another still at large following Thursday's daytime robbery/assault of a Salineville-area man involving the theft of his medication.

The Columbiana County Sheriff's Office has charged Brian L. Wood Jr., 30, Aten Avenue, Wellsville, with kidnapping and aggravated burglary in the attack on David Brown, of Malone Road. Authorities are still searching for Patrick L. Griffith, 30, Maple Hill Road, Salineville, who faces the same charges.

According to the sheriff's report, Brown said he was followed up his long driveway by a motor vehicle containing three people, two of whom he knew Wood and Griffith.

Wood and Griffith reportedly accompanied Brown into his home and proceeded to beat him before stealing some of his medication, including the painkiller oxcycontin. Then they forced Brown to accompany them to the end of his driveway before releasing him and threatening to kill him, resulting in the kidnapping charge.

Brown suffered cuts to his face and sought treatment with his physician.

Later on Thursday Wood was arrested at his Wellsville home with assistance from Wellsville police and members of the sheriff's special response team, which was activated to search for the suspects. Also assisting were the Salineville police department and agents from the state crime lab - the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.

In addition to continuing to search for Griffith, investigators are also attempting to determine the identity of the third suspect.

Meanwhile, Wood was arraigned Friday in county Municipal Court, where a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 22. He is being held in the county jail on $250,000 cash/surety bond.

An online records search show that Griffith had been charged with 17 crimes since 1997 -felony drug possession and trafficking offenses plus 15 misdemeanors.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com