Joseph Rayhill, Louneda Serls

POMEROY — Two Jackson County residents were arrested early Thursday morning, accused of breaking into a storage unit in Meigs County.

According to the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, Louneda Serls, 47, of Ripley and Joseph Rayhill, 31, of Kenna, were charged with breaking and entering and complicity.

A release from the sheriff’s office said Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Curtis Jones observed a vehicle occupied by Serls around 2 a.m. Thursday behind the Great Bend Storage units on Ohio 124 in Portland.

Questioned by Jones, Serls reportedly said she needed to rest but didn’t feel comfortable parking at the nearby Hot Spot because of others parked there. Jones asked her to leave, noting a break-in that occurred the previous night, Deputy Sheriff Maj. Scott Trussell said via email.

As she began to drive off, a storage unit door opened and Rayhill emerged, running after the vehicle, the release said. Jones stopped the vehicle and detained Serls while Rayhill fled through a field, it said.

After a search conducted by deputies, the Ohio State Highway Patrol and Ravenswood Police, Rayhill was apprehended by an Ohio trooper after he fell in a creek off U.S. 33, the release said.

Trussell said the charges are related only to Thursday’s incident. The prior break-ins remain under investigation.