CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (April 26, 2025) — A man was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly breaking into the former Big Lots building, now operating as Home Buys, at 985 North Bridge Street.
Chillicothe Police officers responded to a burglar alarm at the location around 12:50 a.m. Upon arrival, Officers Kyle Curry and Stephen Sprague found a rear door ajar. When Officer Curry opened the door, he encountered a white male suspect, later identified as Barry Lee Walls Jr., wearing a black shirt and blue jeans. The suspect immediately fled deeper into the building despite Officer Curry’s verbal commands to stop.
Officers cleared the building but were unable to initially locate the suspect inside. Other units arriving on scene noticed the front doors to the building were open. A perimeter was quickly established, and a department drone with thermal imaging was deployed to search the surrounding area.
A short time later, Officer Justin Tuttle located a man matching the suspect’s description hiding near the Kroger store adjacent to Home Buys. Walls was detained at gunpoint without further incident and later positively identified by officers as the individual who had fled.
During the investigation, officers found items including ladders, air conditioners, tents, and sleeping bags gathered near the rear exit where Walls had initially been spotted. A black suitcase containing tools and screwdrivers with pry marks, along with a black sweatshirt, was also discovered nearby. Fresh pry marks were noted on the rear door, suggesting forced entry.
According to officers, Walls admitted to entering the building to stay warm and claimed ownership of the suitcase and sweatshirt. He denied stealing any items but confirmed that he had pushed through the front door to exit the building.
Walls was also recently charged with breaking and entering at the local Trippies Laundromate store in Chillicothe also
Walls was arrested and transported to the Ross County Jail. He faces charges of breaking and entering, possessing criminal tools, and obstructing official business, along with being held on an outstanding parole violation warrant. He refused a DNA swab and remains in custody awaiting a court appearance scheduled for April 28 at 9:00 a.m. in Chillicothe Municipal Court.
The investigation is ongoing, pending review of security footage and an inventory of possible stolen items.
