Crime & Safety
Panhandlers Argue Over 'Rights' to Bath Intersection
The following information was supplied by the Bath Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
An argument between two panhandlers over who got to “work” a Bath Township intersection ended with a trip to the hospital for one man and an assault charge for the other.
received a late-morning call Nov. 8 about a dispute between two panhandlers outside at 9 N. Cleveland-Massillon Road.
One man, 45, was struck and knocked to the ground by his friend, a 58-year-old man.
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The second man ran north behind the plaza, and the Bath officer found him on Montrose Avenue.
Police said the 58-year-old admitted to striking his friend after they argued over who was going to solicit from the corner of Cleveland-Massillon and Medina roads.
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The victim, who was taken to Akron General Health & Wellness Center in Montrose for his injuries, said he wanted to press charges.
Police arrested the 58-year-old and charged him with assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. The man was issued a summons and released.
The homepage of the police department’s website features an article about the “challenging issue” of dealing with panhandlers that offers advice for area residents.