North Linden drug house ordered to be vacated, boarded up

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A drug house in the North Linden neighborhood has been shut down by court order.

The office of Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced Thursday that it had secured an order to shut down a house at 2804 Grasmere Ave., just south of East Weber Road. Police officers and firefighters had responded to multiple calls there since September 2022 over narcotics activity and assaults.

That month, police responded to an assault at the house. In November, undercover detectives purchased fentanyl, leading to a search warrant and multiple arrests on felony charges. That December, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert where they found seven rounds of ammunition in the front yard.

This year, in July, Columbus fire officials reported an assault, with the victim saying that the people living there used drugs. And in September, undercover detectives purchased crack cocaine.

This week, the property owners reached a preliminary agreement to have the property declared a public nuisance, Klein's office said. The house must be vacated, after which police will board it up.