Lima man charged in break-ins headed to jail

CELINA - A 36-year-old Lima man charged with a string of car break-ins throughout the county and felony assault on another jail inmate was sentenced to almost 10 years in prison on Wednesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court.

Travis E. Neer was sentenced to 91/2 to 101/2 years in prison on four counts of theft, a fifth-degree felony; breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony; two counts of burglary, a second-degree felony; two counts of attempted trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be, a fifth-degree felony; and one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

He was also ordered to pay a restitution of $1,507, and once released from prison he will be subject to a minimum of 18 months to three years of post-release control.

He was originally charged with 13 counts of misdemeanor theft, a first-degree misdemeanor; seven counts of criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor; 12 counts of theft, a fifth-degree felony; one count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony; two counts of attempted trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be, a fifth-degree felony; two counts of burglary, a second-degree felony; one count of receiving stolen property, a first-degree misdemeanor; and one count of felonious assault, a second-degree felony.

However, due to a negotiated plea agreement the charges were amended.

On or about Dec. 12, 2024, while an inmate at the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility, Neer allegedly caused serious physical harm to an unidentified inmate, according to county prosecutor Erin Minor.

At the time of the altercation, Neer was incarcerated at the county jail on 38 charges related to a string of car break-ins in throughout Mercer County.

From Oct. 15 to Nov. 3, 2024, Neer allegedly broke into numerous cars and stole items, including debit cards, driver's licenses, bullets and sunglasses, in Celina, Coldwater, St. Henry and Rockford, per an affidavit.

Through investigative efforts, law enforcement identified Neer as a suspect, the affidavit states.

Neer was previously "convicted of theft from vehicles and the modus operandi of those crimes was similar to the crimes occurring throughout Mercer County," the affidavit states. "Law enforcement also discovered that Neer had a 2012 silver Ford Escape registered to him, which matched the suspect vehicle captured by surveillance footage in St. Henry."

Also, the Wapakoneta Police Department reported to local law enforcement that they recently had 13 vehicle break-ins and that the suspect vehicle was a silver Ford Escape with plates matching those on Neer's vehicle.

"Neer's Ford Escape was entered into the FLOCK camera database, and it was revealed that Neer's vehicle was southbound on State Route 118, south of Coldwater, on Oct. 23, 2024, at approximately 3:21 a.m.," the affidavit states. "The male suspect was captured on surveillance footage stealing from vehicles in St. Henry on Oct. 23, 2024, at approximately 3:30 a.m. On Oct. 30, 2024, law enforcement applied for and obtained a search warrant to place a GPS tracking device on Neer's Ford Escape."

FLOCK cameras are placed at various heavily traveled locations throughout the county and operate 24/7 to capture images of the backs of vehicles, providing crucial pieces of evidence that the sheriff's office uses to investigate crimes.

Neer was arrested on Nov. 3, 2024, by Celina police officers after they had tracked and caught him making a left turn without a signal, the affidavit states.