Suspect in Middletown homicide arrested in Meigs County after chase

POMEROY, Ohio – A suspect in Middletown, Ohio homicide was taken into custody following a chase in Meigs County.

According to Meigs County Sheriff Keith O. Wood, Deputy Christ Jones took Bobby Jo Nitz, 45, into custody after a chase. Nitz is currently incarcerated in the Washington County Jail awaiting arraignment on charges of felony fleeing from law enforcement in Meigs County. Nitz is expected to be sent to Middletown where he faces charges in the death of his wife, Crista Virginia Nitz, 41.

According to a statement from the Middletown Division of Police, on Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 9:13 p.m. they received a call from an 11-year-old girl stating her mother was deceased. Officers responded and found Crista Nitz dead on the floor in the bathroom. In a statement from the Middletown Police, “We found that Crista had been arguing with her husband Bobby Jo Nitz, age 45, and it became violent. The little girl heard a loud sound and Bobby fled the area on his motorcycle. Bobby told a friend that he had just killed his wife, so we sent out a message to other police agencies that we were looking for him.”

Allegedly after Bobby Nitz left, he was headed toward Meigs County, where both he and the victim have connection. Information was sent out to other law enforcement that he may be on his way to the county with the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office being notified just after 11 p.m. the suspect could be in the area. Sheriff Wood said Middleport Police Department spotted Bobby Nitz at 11:56 p.m. That was when pursuit started as he allegedly fled law enforcement.

“Our units were in the area,” Sheriff Wood said near Alligator Jacks when Deputy Jones made contact with the suspect. By 12:02 a.m., Deputy Jones had Bobby Nitz in custody and by 12:08 a.m. Middletown law enforcement had been contacted their suspect was in custody once Nitz’s identity had been confirmed.

The 11-year-old girl was reported to be physically safe and now in the care of her father.