Landlord Whipped Tenant After Falling Behind on Rent, Charged With Assault
A landlord was arrested in Ohio after allegations he whipped a tenant who was late paying the rent.
Police charged Ron Kronenberger, 53, with assault after police were contacted following the incident on Jan. 22 in an office at the local supermarket he owns, according to a statement provided by a Waynesville police spokesman.
The police report detailed the victim, an unidentified 29-year-old male, was assaulted following a discussion regarding $2,800 in back rent.
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The victim was struck four times across his buttocks with a belt while Kronenberger charged that he was disciplining a child.
"If you're going to act like a child, I'm going to treat you like one," Kronenberger was quoted saying in the police report.
Waynesville Police Chief Gary Copeland interviewed the victim and discovered the tenant endured the whipping because "he was scared and just wanted to get it over with," according to the police report.
"At this point, Chief left to attempt to make contact with Ron Kronenberger about the incident, in which Ron admits whipping (the victim) due to late rent payment in the amount of $2,800," Officer Daniel Bledsoe wrote in the police report.
Kronenberger had been regarded as a pillar of the local community and was formerly the president of the Waynesville Area Chamber of Commerce, according to the Dayton Daily.
Lawrence Greger, Kronenberger's attorney, has yet to release a statement regarding his client's involvement in the alleged crime and when asked by local media would not comment on the case.
Warren County records indicate that Kronenberger, a local business man who owns the Hometown Marketplace in Waynesville, was awarded with Citizen of the Year in 2006.
He posted bail after his arrest and arrived at Warren County Court on Thursday for his first scheduled court date. He is charged with one count of assault which is a first-degree misdemeanor.
