An upset Worthington woman called 911 a couple of weeks ago because a Bloomfield man who was to have no contact with her was knocking on her door. Last Friday, an alert WPD officer saw the man’s truck parked at her apartment building and became concerned when she didn’t answer the door or her phone.  

Joshua Harrison Key, 42, Bloomfield, was arrested last Friday, August 13, by Deputy Marshal Ryan Montgomery of the Worthington Police Department.

Key was taken into custody during an incident at an apartment building on South Edwards Street in Worthington last Friday afternoon, but another incident involving Key had occurred on July 31. As a result of the July 31 incident, a criminal case was filed against Key and a warrant had just been issued for his arrest when the second incident occurred last Friday.

The first incident

Deputy Michael Stanley of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched early Saturday, July 31, to an apartment on South Edwards in Worthington after a woman who lived in the apartment called Greene County Dispatch to report Key was knocking on her door but he shouldn’t be there because there was an active protective order between them.

When Deputy Stanley knocked on the woman’s door at 6:15 a.m., she said Key had just been there at the door about five minutes before. She allegedly said she had been getting calls and texts from him and showed him the phone log between her and Key. Deputy Stanley noted Key was labeled as “Asshole” in her phone contacts. Deputy Stanley also reported the woman was very upset and alleged Key had choked her the last time she saw him at his house. She said she did not file a report because she was at fault and should not have been at his house.

By 7:22 a.m., Deputy Stanley and Deputy Harvey Holt were at Key’s residence on Gallimore Road, Bloomfield, to talk to Key but nobody answered the door and there was no sign of anyone present.

A no-contact order was served to Key on May 14, 2020, in Greene Superior Court, ordering him to have no contact with the woman.

Deputy Stanley attempted to make contact with Key by telephone more than once but was not successful.

A criminal case was then filed against Key last week on a charge of invasion of privacy in violation of a protective order, a Class A misdemeanor, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, but before it had been served, the second incident occurred.

The second incident

WPD Officer Ryan Montgomery was on patrol last Friday around 2:30 p.m. when he saw Key’s truck, a camouflage Dodge pickup truck, parked at the apartment complex on South Edwards Street, near the entrance to the woman’s apartment. Officer Montgomery was aware of the description of Key’s truck and aware the woman had reported Key’s earlier violation of the protective order, and aware that she was worried he might return. Officer Montgomery checked the license plate – the truck was registered to Key, and he checked to confirm the protective order was valid.

WPD Chief Jim O’Malley then arrived on scene to assist and Officer Montgomery knocked on the apartment door several times but there was no answer.

Officer Montgomery attempted to contact the woman on her cell phone but she didn’t answer.

Then the officer talked to several neighbors who all said they had not seen her that day.

With concerns about not being able to contact the woman, a welfare check was initiated and GCSD Deputy Michael Coy also arrived to assist. They attempted to get a key to the apartment from the manager but the manager was out of town and an attempt to get hold of the maintenance person to provide a key was also unsuccessful.

Officer Montgomery then knocked on the door of the apartment several times while announcing, “Police, welfare check.” There was no answer.

At that point, Officer Montgomery attempted to gain entry by kicking in the locked door. Officer Montgomery reported that after the first kick, he heard a woman’s voice announce they were coming and the woman then answered the door. She said Key was there and Chief O’Malley called Key to come out of a back bedroom. Key was then taken into custody by Officer Montgomery.

Key was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:14 p.m.

Key is currently being held without bond. He will be scheduled to appear in court for his initial hearing on charges connected with the first incident and information has been submitted to the prosecutor’s office in support of the additional charge expected to be filed against him connected to the second incident.