Gary Whitling

A man is accused of burglarizing a woman's home, assaulting her young son and stealing her father's vehicle during a suspected domestic altercation last week in Petrolia.

State police later found the suspect, Gary J. Whitling, 26, of Emlenton, passed out at the wheel of the still-running vehicle on the side of Route 268, authorities said.

Police said troopers had to use force to arrest him when he refused to get out of the vehicle.

Police said they suspect Whitling was impaired, and they subsequently found pills and marijuana allegedly belonging to him in the vehicle.

Whitling is facing 21 charges stemming from the incident early Thursday and remains in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Troopers were called about 3:30 a.m. to the woman's rental home on Taylor Street. The woman, apparently the defendant's girlfriend, was there with her 6-year-old son, police said.

Whitling was gone by the time police arrived. The woman recounted that Whitling showed up drunk and began punching her son, police said.

She got between Whitling and her child, and she suffered an unknown injury to her hand. It was not known if the boy was hurt. She showed police a court order that bans Whitling from having contact with the child.

Whitling subsequently left the home, and the woman locked the door. But he allegedly broke the door while beating on it. He is accused of taking a 1999 Chevrolet Suburban owned by the woman's father.

While looking for Whitling, police said, troopers traveling north on Route 268 came upon the reported stolen Suburban parked partially on the road. The vehicle was running, and the suspect was found passed out in the driver's seat.

Police said they ordered him out of the vehicle but he refused. Eventually, documents said, “substantial force was utilized to affect (his) arrest.”

During the investigation, troopers learned that Whitling's driver's license was suspended, and they seized several plastic containers, pills and suspected marijuana from the passenger compartment that allegedly belonged to him.

Police took him to Butler Memorial Hospital, where he submitted to a blood draw. Toxicology results were not known.

District Judge Lewis Stoughton arraigned Whitling on felony charges of burglary, trespass, theft and receiving stolen property, and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, possession of a small amount of marijuana, two counts each of driving under the influence and simple assault, resisting arrest, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.

He also was arraigned on the following summary charges: two counts of harassment, driving with a suspended license, driving a vehicle without insurance, disregarding traffic lanes, driving too slow for conditions and failing to use hazard lights.