HILLSBORO, Ohio (August 22, 2026) – Chase S. Williamson was booked into the Highland County Jail early Saturday on a theft charge that official custody records describe as purse snatching.
Williamson, 29, was arrested at 5:15 a.m. and booked at 5:28 a.m., according to the Highland County Sheriff’s Office persons currently in custody listing. The booking number is 20173568. The arresting officer is listed as a PD officer. He is held at the Highland County Jail.
The charge appears in jail records as “THEFT – 23B – PURSE SNATCHING.” At the time of the Saturday update no bail amount, judge, or disposition had been recorded. A standard note on the listing states that bonds may not include an Ohio House Bill 1 surcharge or court costs due at release, which can reach as much as $85 per bond.
Ohio Revised Code Section 2913.02 defines theft as knowingly obtaining or exerting control over another’s property or services without consent, or by deception, threat, or intimidation, with purpose to deprive the owner. The offense level depends on the value of the property and other factors, such as whether the victim belongs to a protected class. Jail systems sometimes add a descriptive label such as purse snatching to a theft booking. Depending on the facts, similar incidents in Ohio have been charged as theft or as robbery when force is used against a person. Public records in this case provide only the booking description and do not include incident details, property value, or victim information.
Williamson is presumed innocent. A jail booking is an allegation, not a conviction. Court information had not been entered as of the latest public update Saturday evening.
The Highland County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Donald E. Barrera, publishes current inmate information through its official channels used by the county. Updates to charges, bond, or court dates, if any, would appear in those official records or subsequent court filings.
