An accused bank robber, an inmate who allegedly stole an ambulance while escaping the hospital and a Florida man who crashed into a porch while allegedly running from the cops are among the 112 indictments returned by the first Monongalia County grand jury of 2020.
The grand jury convened on Jan. 9 and 10. An indictment is a required step in the prosecution of felonies and is not proof of guilt by the accused.
Cody Scott Grimmett, 23, of Mount Dora, Fla., was indicted for recklessly fleeing from an officer, destruction of property, malicious assault of a law enforcement officer, possession of a stolen vehicle and obstruction.
At Grimmett’s preliminary hearing a deputy testified:
That Grimmett fled across the Westover Bridge after a Westover Police officer attempted to stop him. The Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department joined the chase, which continued up Pleasant Street and into South Park. During the chase, Grimmett turned into a dead end and reversed into a deputy’s cruiser. The vehicle chase ended when the stolen truck crashed through a porch on Brockway Avenue, in Morgantown’s Greenmont neighborhood, destroying a support pillar. However, Grimmett ran from the crash and was later found behind a building by a Granville Police officer and K9.
He is being held in North Central Regional Jail in lieu of $60,000 bond — which was reduced from $150,000, during his preliminary hearing.
Two indictments were returned against Craig Allen Martisko, 46, of Granville. One indictment charges him with grand larceny, recklessly fleeing from an officer and escape. The second indictment is for grand larceny.
Martisko stole a 2017 Subaru Forester, worth about $25,000, from a woman on Sept. 13, 2019, according to the indictment.
On Sept. 20, 2019, Martisko stole an ambulance belonging to Priority Ambulance Services LLC, according to the indictment. He also committed the fleeing and escape charges on that day.
It was previously reported Martisko was transported from NCRJ to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, where he escaped after stealing the ambulance. Police said in the process of making his escape, he collided with a Star City ambulance, several cars, fixed objects in the area and finally crashed into a utility pole.
A Morgantown Police Department K-9 officer found Martisko in a Chateau Royal building, attempting to break into an apartment. He was taken into custody without further incident and was transported back to the hospital for examination.
Martisko is in NCRJ in lieu of $75,000 bond.
Daryl R. Waychoff, 55, of Houston, Pa., is charged with first-degree robbery and fleeing from an officer.
Waychoff is accused of robbing United Bank on Chaplin Road on Sept. 15, 2018, and fleeing from an officer on Oct. 10, 2019, according to the indictment.
Bank security footage of the September robbery showed the male was wearing a dark hat, sunglasses, bandana-style face cover, long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and had grayish-looking facial hair, according to the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department.
Waychoff is also charged with bank robberies in Marion and Preston counties.
He is being held in NCRJ in lieu of $1,170,000 bond, $1,150,000 of which is cash-only and cannot be posted by a bondsman.
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