YEAR: 1986

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: Ohio

COUNTY: Portage County

LOCATION DETAILS: Fence line near Rt 5 & Newton Falls Rd intersection

NEAREST TOWN: Ravenna, Ohio

NEAREST ROAD: Rt 5 & Newton Falls Rd

OBSERVED: Very early in the morning, 2:30am-3:30am, I was driving home and witnessed a large figure. The large figure was standing behind the fence of The Ravenna Ammunition base. I sighted this figure from my car. As I turned from Rt 5 to Newton Falls Road, my headlights swept across the fence line, my eyes caught the figure. The figure was slightly taller than the fence and broad bodied. As I finished my turn I stopped, attempted to see the figure again without luck.

ALSO NOTICED: none

OTHER WITNESSES: myself

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: early morning 230a-330a, clear, warm

ENVIRONMENT: wooded, federal land, state park land

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Mark Maisel:

I spoke to the witness by phone and found him credible.

While on his way home from a friend's house, his headlights swept across a silhouette that was standing near a fence on the Ravenna Aresenal property. Commonly known as the Ravenna Arsenal, this is now an Ohio Army National Guard military base. He is not sure if it was inside the fence or not. He did notice that it looked like its arm was raised. The witness was not sure if it was grabbing the fence or not. He proceeded to back up the car about ten feet trying to get a better look but was unable to see anything else. The figure that he saw was about the height of the fence. The 21,000 acre Arsenal, known for its organized deer hunts, has a fence around the area that is eight feet high.

The area is very close to West Branch State Park. There are farms and orchards in the area also.

About BFRO Investigator Mark Maisel:

Mark Maisel is employed in the medical field in Ohio. He has attended the following expeditions: West Virginia, New York Adirondacks, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. Expedition organizer of the 2009 Ohio expedition and assisting with both of Eastern Ohio's in 2012 and Michigan UP 2012. Attended WV 2013