Ron Welch
Muskingum County Prosecutor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Zanesville Repeat Thief Sentenced to Prison
A Zanesville man was sent to prison for stealing tiles from the roof of a home.
On September 30, Harold S. Lighthizer, 61, of Zanesville appeared in Muskingum County Court of Common Pleas.
Judge Mark C. Fleegle sentenced Lighthizer to serve 16 months in prison.
Lighthizer must also pay $1,100 in restitution.
Lighthizer has a long history of being a thief. He was convicted of theft in 2005, 2015, and 2023. He has also been convicted of domestic violence, forgery, and violating a protection order.
On June 13, Lighthizer climbed onto the roof of a house and started removing roof tiles. Someone called the police to report his suspicious behavior.
Lighthizer told police that he was allowed to remove the roof. He was putting the roof tiles into a rented box truck.
On June 14, another person called the police to report the stolen roof. Lighthizer left the house before police arrived.
On June 16, police found Lighthizer’s truck at someone’s house. Lighthizer had asked the person if he could park the truck at her house. He told her that he was moving into a new place.
Police saw Lighthizer walking towards the truck. He tried to run away but police officers arrested him. They found $20,000 worth of roof tiles in the truck.
Muskingum County Assistant Prosecutor John Litle says Lighthizer has a history of causing destruction.
“This isn’t the first time that Mr. Lighthizer has destroyed valuable assets in order to make a small scrap of money,” Litle said. “Last time, he was logging a hillside in the city. This time he destroyed a house that was going to be rehabbed by the city to address the housing problem. Prison is where he belongs.”
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