WESTERVILLE — A Westerville man was cited after police say he tried to rip down a hotel pool fence before trying to rip open a mattress.
It happened the morning of April 11 at the Red Roof Inn at 909 S. State St.
A witness noticed a man pulling down the fence surrounding the hotel’s pool. He pulled on the fence and it fell over on him pinning him to the ground for a minute, according to the witness. He was yelling for help but was able to free himself. The man then began running around the pool and attempted to take the pool cover off the pool. The witness said he laid down and stuck his head under the pool cover at four different spots as if he was looking for something.
When police questioned the man, he admitted to knocking the fence down. He said he thought he heard someone scream and thought someone was in the pool.
After police cited the man for criminal damaging, he said he was going into his room to relax.
As the responding officer was talking to the hotel manager, the man dragged the mattress out of his room and onto the balcony. He yelled that he needed a knife to cut open the mattress, as there was a woman trapped inside.
Officers described the man as hallucinating and out of control.
The man was eventually taken to St. Ann’s Hospital for evaluation.