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Authorities arrest two Parkersburg men in separate incidents

By Candice Black 3 min read

PARKERSBURG -- Crimes involving drug sales and breaking and entering brought two Parkersburg men into custody Tuesday.

An officer allegedly witnessed a drug sale involving Alex Blake Johnson, 31, homeless, at a Walmart parking lot on Pike Street last week, according to a criminal complaint filed with the Wood County Magistrate Court.

Johnson drove up on a motorcycle and got into the back of a van where he was seen pulling a plastic bag filled with a white powder out of his pocket, the complaint said. The officer approached Johnson while he still had the bag in his hand, which held about five to 10 grams of white powder, according to the complaint.

When Johnson moved his hand to open the bag, the officer took him to the ground and Johnson put the bag in his mouth, getting the powder on himself and the officer, the complaint said.

Agents located a large amount of cash, seven grams of tar heroin, two grams of a white powder and a pellet gun inside a holder on Johnson's person and scales were found inside the van, the complaint said.

The bag inside Johnson's mouth had about four grams of drugs, according to the complaint.

Johnson is being charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, heroin and fenatnyl, and was being held at North Central Regional Jail on a $25,000 surety bond.

After a separate incident Tuesday, Nathan Andrew Bunner, 37, 1120 Latrobe St., Parkersburg, was found with stolen property and arrested, according to a criminal complaint filed with the Wood County Magistrate Court.

Officers went to 225 College Parkway in reference to a suspicious person in the woods. Law enforcement found Bunner who claimed he had property in the woods, the compliant said.

A large military bag was found on a hillside with the name "Lemon" on the side which Bunner claimed someone had given him, the complaint said.

Officers noticed several personal items on the hillside include binders full of sports memorabilia, a duty belt and earrings and during the search, Bunner was found with a needle filled with methamphetamine inside his pants pocket, according to the complaint.

Bunner also had methamphetamine, pills and a ring in one of his other pockets, the complaint said.

Law enforcement checked a nearby storage unit as previous calls reported robberies at that location, the complaint said.

"(The officer) checked the area and observed (a) storage unit at 112 College Parkway had been forcibly entered by cutting of the metal locking mechanism," the complaint said.

The items inside the storage unit had the name "Lemon," the same name on the bag Bunner had and he was also found with a mechanism that would have broken the lock, the complaint said.

"With the subject having property related to the storage unit as well as a tool to gain entry, it is believed (Bunner) did unlawfully and enter (the) unit … and take items that did not belong to him," the complaint said.

Bunner is being charged with breaking and entering and was being held at North Central Regional Jail on a $25,000 surety bond.

Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.

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