Alleged domestic violence spills from home to local tavern

POMEROY – What started as a woman seeking help following an alleged domestic assault, ended with one person arrested and another being hospitalized.

According to Meigs County Sheriff’s Office reports, close to midnight on December 3, a domestic assault allegedly spilled into the parking lot of Mizway Tavern on State Route 143. According to reports, deputies along with Meigs County EMS responded following a woman claiming her live in boyfriend had hurt her in their home. The exact home location was not disclosed, but is in the area as she went to the bar for assistance as she was fleeing the boyfriend identified as Matthew Eblin, Jr., 23, of Pomeroy. Eblin allegedly followed her to the Mizway Tavern and as the woman reached the parking lot.

According to reports, “As she reached the parking lot the suspect, her live in boyfriend, arrived in his vehicle and started to assault her again and attempted to force her into his Jeep.”

At that point, several patrons of the Mizway witnessed what was happening and tried to intervene on the woman’s behalf. Eblin then allegedly returned to his vehicle going after the woman with the vehicle. According to the report, he attempted to run over the woman, but ended up hitting another woman. The second woman was one of the Mizway’s patrons that had attempted to intervene before. Eblin then allegedly fled the scene.

According to the report both victims were sent to Holzer’s Meigs County Emergency Room for treatment. The injuries were reported to be serious for the alleged victim struck by the car, but as of publication, the status of both women was unavailable.

Eblin was later found and arrested. He was initially charged with domestic violence and felonious assault. Those charges have been dismissed as the matter is still being investigated and expected to be presented by the Meigs County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to a grand jury. The previous charges were misdemeanors. The charges being brought before the grand jury will be felony level charges in this alleged incident.

Two years ago almost to the day, Eblin had another encounter with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office. As previously reported in the Meigs Independent Press, on December 6, 2014 deputies responded to Wagner Lane, Pomeroy after receiving calls of a possible altercation. While in route to Wagner Lane deputies were advised that other calls had come into the Sheriff’s Office that gun shots had been fired in the area. Upon arrival deputies located and took Eblin into custody and cleared the residence with the assistance of the Meigs County K-9 Unit.

During the course of the investigation, deputies learned one of the rounds that had been fired had struck a neighbor’s house traveling through his walls and stopping only feet from where a someone was sitting.

Meigs County Deputies were assisted by law enforcement officers from Middleport, Pomeroy, and Syracuse Police Departments.

In that incident, Eblin was convicted of the amended charge of failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, a misdemeanor of the first degree. A second charge of intimidation of a witness in criminal case, a felony of the third degree, was dismissed. He had been on community control. Following the alleged events of December 3, 2016, a motion was filed with the Meigs County Court of Common Pleas by Prosecuting Attorney Colleen Williams to revoke Eblin’s community control. A bench warrant was issued and he has been at the Middleport Jail since being taken into custody by deputies.