Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ding-Dong Ditch Prank Makes Ohio Dad Really Angry: Police

Episode Date: April 10, 2026

Yarvis Godfrey is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after police in Green Township, Ohio said he fired at teens who played "Ding-Dong Ditch" at his house. Police said Godfrey's bullets struck two homes in in the incident and the back of a teenage girl's car. The investigation was recorded by police body-worn cameras on Saturday, April 4, 2026. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy takes you through the case in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW: If you’re ever injured in an accident, you can check out Morgan & Morgan. You can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch: https://www.forthepeople.com/CrimeFix Host:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Daniel CamachoGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Come on, man, y'all, y'all. It's protecting the castle, man. A game of ding-dong ditch and a not-so-happy homeowner. I just went down the other road and I came back up and he shot on my car. I'll go through the Easter weekend gone terribly wrong. I'm Ann Janette Levy and this is Crime Fix. You know, part of the reason that we can bring you this episode of Crime Fix is because we have great partners like Morgan and Morgan. For more than 35 years, this law firm has been fighting for people like you and me.

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people.com slash crime fix, click the link below or scan the QR code that you see right there on your screen. You know, ding-dong ditch, it's a game that's considered kind of a right of passage for teenagers, but if you're a homeowner, it's probably pretty annoying if someone rings your bell, especially early in the morning or in the middle of the night. In Ohio, things went totally off the rails over Easter weekend after police say a group of teens played ding-dong ditch on a homeowner who didn't feel like playing. That homeowner, Yarvis Godfrey, ended up in jail for Easter. I'll explain why.

This case takes us to Green Township, a suburb of Cincinnati. It's typically a quiet area. But on Saturday, April 4th, the day before Easter, things got a little loud before 7 a.m. And police showed up. Listen as an officer talks to a teenage girl. All right. So what is happening this morning? I wanted to pick them up to get breakfast.

And what time was that? Literally, not even 30 minutes ago. What do you pick them up from? Right around the corner. You know the street name? Mac. Got around a corner? Yeah, it says that address.

So, what happened when you pick them up? And they got out my car and knocked down the door. What? They got out my car and knocked on the door. And then what happened? When they got into the car. I just went down the other road and I came back up. and he shot at my car.

You'd shot at your car. So nobody knows these people that randomly shot at the car? No. There's bullet holes in the back to my car? But you don't know? Do you don't know who these people are? They don't know who these people are?

I don't know who these people are. I don't know. I'm not around here. I have no idea where I am. I was picking them up and I was turning around. No, I was going for one of the guys gone out and looked down there.

He was for his friend's in the street. What are the guys in this? car? So everybody's back in the car now? Mm-hmm. You just ask one more, right? No. Yeah, um, yeah, I got, I got the other two. So that is what the driver of the car told police.

She said she went to pick up her friends for breakfast. They got out of the car, knocked on a door, and then got back in her car. Three minutes later, officers talk with Jarvis Godfrey and his wife. Can't talk to you guys? I'm trying to figure out. Do you guys know them or the kids know them? Okay. All go to okay or kill something.

okay or something? Yeah. Okay. What are they doing? I heard a couple different things. Man. We in the house. You're ready for work.

I work for FedEx. Okay. I'm right here trying to get on my uniform. Next thing you know, baby girl is a little liberal. You hear. Boom. I'm like somebody on fair.

I'm right now. She's yelling at the door. Okay. You hear them saying, Oh, and then go right down the street. Cut off lights and everything. Like, we don't know what a car?

Yeah. Did they come back at all? Yeah, they came back up. They had to come back. We're on the cul-de-sack. Okay. Yeah, they had to come back. Anybody got time for that weird?

Yeah. Is they pulling your driveway or anything? No, not to drive. Because our driveway down. They just came down. They did what they did. They tried to peel back off. Anybody on the like that?

Okay. And you guys are on Starview? Yeah, we're in the first house on the corner. Okay. I talked to one of your neighbors out walking his dog. Yeah, Brad. So he said maybe they were kicking at your door. Yeah, they kicked him.

Is that right? There's mud on the door. The footstaff still on the door. You know why they were kicking? No, I don't. That's why we went to go get, James, just to try to see what do they got against her? Because whatever it is, y'all need to end up to date.

Coming to people's houses at 5 o'clock, 6 o'clock in the morning, kicking on doors, that's uncalled for. That's not fun. That's dangerous. Y'all don't do that. I don't do that. And if you be the driver, you got to put driving people around like that, They're going to get you in some type of trouble.

That's stupid. All right. So did you already talk to another officer? We didn't talk to nobody. I don't know if we made our way over there yet. No, no, no, no. Okay. Hang tight.

We're still talking to them trying to figure it all out. But it sounds like they were flying up and down the street. Lights cut off. Mm-hmm. And kicking on the door, I guess it was yours. Yeah. I don't know if they hit anybody else, but either of it. What's your daughter saying?

No, what is she saying? Oh, she's going to meet up with them. I asked them why they're doing it. And then they're right here, act like they don't even know why they're doing it. Like, out of all the houses on that block. Why are you saying it to me? Because you're in the car with them. You're in the car with them, though.

You're in the car with them. We don't know who did it. All of y'all wrong. It's not right. But it's not right. We do. We do. We do.

So what are you talking like you? Where are your parents? You're your parents. We'll talk to the adults. Where are the parents? We'll take care of it. Ma'am, ma'am, come over here. You're a kid, man. Is your daughter the one right here? Can I talk to her? Yeah, you can. Hey, did they text you or anything?

No, but I know that. You ain't. Oh shit the whole. What was that? No. No, they didn't take you. I didn't take you. I didn't take you. Hey.

I'm going to stop for me. Stop. Stop, stop, stop, stop. Stop, stop, stop. Call your daddy, call your mother, what I'm going to get kids, man. Folks, sit back in your car. I'm going to figure, we're going to get to the bottom. Jayla, shut up.

Do something to somebody, but you ain't going to do. So did she, did they text you or anything? So why are you, you fit. You know what they're going to do. I mean, I know the block. I really had one. Yeah, on your behalf. On y'all.

On y'all. That's the only boy that knows where I live. Yeah, I go to Oak Hills. Okay. I used to go to school with the Hurley Header one. Does he go to O'Kills currently or does he go somewhere else? He may be a freshman, maybe eighth grade, eighth grade or a freshman at Rapid Run. Rapid Run, okay.

Eighth grade? Yeah, he's like 14 or 13 or 13? At this point, you can tell that Yervis Godfrey and his wife are furious. They said someone kicked their door early in the morning and their daughter knows some of the kids. The investigation continues. So talking to them. they were supposedly all going to Waffle House or something. Waffle House, like, nothing over here.

They ain't nowhere over here. It's on going away. They were driving around picking up, so that's what I'm saying. Did they text you? No, they didn't text me. I was just sweet. That boy, like I said, he lives around the corner. Does he kind of know you?

Yeah, because he rode the middle school bus. Do you guys have a problem? No, because he's a grave younger than I don't have to talk to him. Okay. You don't know why they'd be at your house, especially kicking at your door. No, only you don't come riding in the bus behind in the middle school. Okay. Okay.

Okay. What's your guys' address over there on them? We're the person on the left when you pull up. Let me get some of the NFL. I'm out of call you right back, sure. Did you guys actually talk to them in the drive where at your house? They took off. They pulled up.

I mean, they pulled off. Like I said, we're on the culletack. So we've seen them coming back up with their lights off. It's a weird. Okay, let me be in my fan. As the officer tries to find a pen, a number of other officers are trying to sort out what happened. And some information comes out about one of the juveniles involved in the ding-dong ditch.

You have an extra pen. I seem to have lost mine, and I don't have my bag. So I guess they were going, they're on Starview in the YSU. Well, they started on Mac, evidently. Oh. Do we have someone over there? Check in. See what they did over there?

She said that they picked, she's picking them up from a party about 45 minutes ago now. Okay. They get in the car and then she doesn't know what squaw. She's like, I was just turning around. And then all of a sudden somebody's chasing us and they're shooting at us. Do we know who was shooting at them? Is this white SUV supposedly? No, the white SUV is on Starview.

Well, that's a good question. I mean, they, somehow somebody ended up on Starview and was allegedly kicking their door. That's what I gathered. That's what they're saying in the White Sucvee. Because it's like mom, dad, and like three of their kids. Yeah. It could have been them, I don't know. Yeah.

Well, I guess they said the dad came out and, like, they were flying up and down the street with their headlights off. With another car or no? Was it another car? He didn't. He didn't mention that. They were saying they were being chased. I'm trying to figure out who's shooting out of them. Probably not his family, I'm assuming.

I'm assuming not, but, I mean, if it's, if it startled him. He called in, being a staff went to his room. There's nobody here. Okay. Let me get there. The one that gives a lot of attitude, the one with the room. Red writing on with his pants, his hands in his pants. Yes.

We've had a lot of history in dealing with him for us. Who is that? Who is it? I don't recognize. 59.61. Supposedly. He's like 13, 14. He is born in 2010, so...

He's 16. Yeah. Well, she was just wrong. The girl in the back seat goes to Oak Hills, and she thought he was... No, the girl was driving. There's no, no, no, no. There's a girl in the white GMC, in the back seat. So, do we need the white GMC other than just in...

info and their address and what they saw. Yeah, I mean, right. I mean, they were banging on their front door. I mean, that's it. Yeah. All right, just talking to the other officer. It sounds like you weren't the only house involved. They were one of the other houses too.

And there's maybe another car or two. What's your address again? Do you guys have like a ring doorbell or anything? I've got a camera. No. Okay. Sometimes you're not activated or whatever. The officer then asks why Yarvis Godfrey and his wife are

on another street. Okay. So when you guys pulled up here, we were just looking to see where they went? Okay. Did anybody fire a gun at them by chance? Because they're saying like that someone shot at them. It may be the other car.

We're trying to work through that, but I didn't know if it was you guys got startled. Give us a few minutes. Okay. You can just hang tight here if you don't mind for a minute and we're going to try to figure out what we got. But it sounds like they were a different. houses there may be another car there's like a bunch of kids involved

huh correct yeah and they're saying somebody shot at them but it sounds like it was maybe that other car that was supposedly chasing them or whatever so okay sounds like they were up to no good either way and sounds like now they're changing the story from Waffle House to a part they were at a party yeah it's early it's early yes correct you're right spring break I I guess. Minutes later, the police officers go to the area where the teens said the car took fire, and they find an important piece of evidence.

I was going to say, if you want to check that area, but maybe just around. That's where they said when they got shot was at the stop sign. The guy that's causing all the issues lives at . Yeah, yeah. But I mean, he very well could have been inside if it happened. I think that red one or this one, or that one. Whoever that is. Oh, here it is.

Sorry, you've got the township or a corporal. Yeah. You're over 14. I wouldn't touch it, right? Yeah, I'm not. I'm not going to stand right. You have your person not with shotgun? Not led your leg.

He's on a jerk when we tried to pat him down to make sure he didn't have a weapon. He didn't have a weapon. He was touching him? Yeah. The owner of the house? Yeah, he's not very cooperative. He's remedied to you or 89. In the car, some of them.

Can you go to township with 14? Green township, police. Are being. Go ahead. You guys secure down there? Go ahead. Go ahead. No, this is, there's no connection.

I have no idea why they're. One recovered. directly in front of 62, 51. Starve-O-Fing him on in car here? He's? Okay, he's a, I count me. Just one casing so far, like a nine, maybe. Okay, is that in front of the guy's address or?

40. Might be. Hey for him. He's got a camera on the front. Okay. Could I have somebody out here with me? Has anybody else ever walked down with me? Yeah.

He's right down the street. Hamburg's coming. He's by him. the white GMC SUV. See any more. They're just laying. Huh? The bullet, it hit their trunk.

Yeah. I mean, I don't think if you have a car that's fleeing, it's all the way down there and you shoot from here, that's going to be justified in any self-defense. He's all pissed at me because he don't like what I'm saying to him, but he's like, well, what would you do if somebody was breaking into your door? Who's put my life in danger? And I'm like, well, that's the time to shoot, not when the car is driving down the road. road and you're shooting at them as they're leaving. And he's getting pissed at me. But I'm like, well, you're the one that would go to prison.

So the officers find a shell casing in the area where the teenage girl said her car took fire. But hold on if you think the investigation is over because a neighbor comes by and she has something to report. These kids didn't seem very concerned. I think somebody shot her car. So we were just trying to get away. Why they ended up here is a fantastic question that none of them know. one of them one kid lives on Mac

and they're picking him up with the girl was picking the three guys up to go get breakfast you just want to stay on this side of the road is all sure yeah uh huh it's kind of like gunfire and then I went out and said my birds

and there's a bullet hole porch which what's your address right here at the corner? Oh. Do you mind showing me? Sure. That's why I'm hanging out for. Yeah, I mean. Jones, Zammy walked down so I can get in, Phil. I don't know who's all here. Several people. It doesn't involve this. It's odd because it's not like you, I looked at my cameras this morning and there's nothing going on outside.

so I didn't see anything, but the position that it's in, it's almost like, I don't know why it didn't go through this first blue part. It's behind that. Okay. Angle up and up and back. See, there's no. How from here. There's a bullet in there? Just don't touch anything, please. Yeah, I didn't.

That's okay. I think I might have because I put my finger over. If you already did, that's okay. Just don't do it anymore sort of thing. actually really evidence stuff I'm pretty sure that's not yeah I'm not

I'm fucked are you both homeowners these homeowners they cannot believe that someone shot at their house I can't believe

in my house isn't shot I'm glad you're okay what's a good telephone number for either I got I think so I think it's right there it looks like just deciding Yeah, that's what I thought too. Did you guys get that guy? Yeah. Oh, awesome, boss.

Was he, he rang on you? No, it's a whole convoluted thing that I'm, you know, but it's, it's, it's, coming up, yeah. And will we targeted? Yeah. Ellie Webb. You are sure. A positive. A hundred percent positive on that. Well, thank you very much. Yep. What are we, just leave it for now. Just don't touch anything. probably you know like CIS? It's probably okay so there yeah so probably one of our evidence texts just last 20 minutes ago so you guys have probably been here since the shooting happened

when I heard it like an hour ago we've been here since like 630 give or take maybe a little bit after it was about 620 that I heard of yeah just don't touch it leave that there, and then we're going to have an evidence attack. Probably come out and collect it and hand it over to the detectives at some point. Yeah, probably just barely cleared that, and then on its trajectory, just plopped right in there and missed all that. But definitely didn't go through, you can still see it in there.

Can you tell me if it was Brow or Starview? I can't really tell you anything except it wasn't. You guys aren't involved. You're just unlucky bystanders. I'll be right back. Like I said, just don't touch it. Perfect. And it didn't go through, right?

Nope, I can still see it around in there. So that interaction was around 7.20 a.m. about an hour after the shots were fired. Fast forward to 10.50 a.m. A few hours have passed, and police are planning to execute a search warrant at Yarvis Godfrey's home. I was going to let you know. I was going to let you know, he's,

Detective Ramers is coming up here with the paperwork, he'll give you a topic. So we're just waiting on here. Let's clear on my pocket. Have your shirt worn? It's got to be snapped and notarized. Yes, it does. Is it the possible that you call it, somebody that's not notarized? Yes, you do.

I'll be here. Like that bolt. They're doing it too. I'm going to hang out with you guys. I don't know. I'm not going to. It's a lot. You got to take off your shoe privacy.

The officers are in the house executing the search warrant looking for evidence as Officer Jackson stays with Jarvis Godfrey and his wife. As you can see, they're less than pleased. I didn't know if you were going to stay put or not. I'll tell them if so. I got it. Okay. He worked out that you were going to give the key.

He already told us that. He can be a little headstrong, so I apologize. He's doing too much. You see what I'm talking about? He's young. He's young. Yeah, I know. I want to kick the drug with me ever.

I know. He's just... They at least be the bullet on the door? Well, you ain't been down here. They don't care about none of there, man. Right now, they wrapped their head around camping. They got their body camp. The patrol officers do.

Just lost our take. I guess. I wasn't looking. We've had more neighbors. I don't know. I just checked you up. You're fine, you're fine. You're fine.

You're fine. He's just, yeah. I know. I understand. I'm not making nothing up, man. I'm not that way I get it. No problem. It happens like I ever told you.

I don't think you're either one of you are bad people. Man, we're pretty bad. We ain't, man. These people wouldn't even be checking on us as the way they are. If we was, man. Like this house. Get the private drive. drive way in the back? As the minutes passed, Yarvis and his wife read the warrant, and they have some

questions. My daughter's birthday, too. They're going to care about nothing else, man. They're just trying to make it seem like somebody's trying to kiss for kids. What? How to phone is, something coming about? I'm assuming. So basically, this is, there's two houses that I've heard that have been hit with bullets. Okay. Two houses. So that would be the distorting at or into it. Okay. Strangling over the public road. You can't do that.

Okay. You can't shoot over road away. Okay. That's what that would be. The flanges assault would be people in the car whose car were struck by a bullet. Okay. They were basically, the flanges assault was either you caused serious physical harm to somebody or you, or you, or they're assault. I understand your ground working in Ohio.

So there's like, there's like, So there's like Castle Doctrine kind of type stuff. But that's like... That's what you're talking about now. Yeah, yeah. Okay. So it depends where the threat was at. If it was in the street, it doesn't apply.

If it's at the front of the house, in front of your door. That's kind of how that would work. I'm listening. And I don't have all the details. You know, the detectives have taken over, so they have interviewed everybody thoroughly on the level. My thing is, if you see a car coming down the street,

At one point, a neighbor stops to talk to Officer Jackson. Yeah, do you have any video or anything on it? No camera. No camera. I did hear voices. I thought it was, I knew it came from up here, my thumb down there where the white vans are in the driveway. You're on Starview as well.

Yeah. Okay. Sound like that's because I don't think we need you for anything. You know wait for anything. Yeah. What's your address? And you just heard them around 620. I kind of walked out.

I heard some voice last page 3. 622. A short time later, Yarvis Godfrey attempts to give the detectives instructions. Can you take a picture that door to? That quick print right there in front of you. I'll mention it. You don't care about this. They don't care about what caused all this.

And that sickness. He may have already. He might have already, but if not, we'll document it. We'll take a picture of it and measure it and see what it looks like. I'm good. Like I said, I'll make sure they document the door if there's a little. That's the only thing that's working me up right now. Because it's like the little black morgue, I kind of see it.

Like this is what working me up because like y'all is wet colds and all this. Instead of seeing where I'm going to the cold, y'all's saying right here just literally coming out of people, y'all got Take off like somebody to die here. It's clear to see that that's what caused all this record. Us, you being aggressive trying to come in somebody's house. Look at the windows. The windows are propped open, the kids sitting right down the other side of that window. Laying down sleep.

That's not right. I'll have them take a look at it. Please, please, man. Because you're not right, man. You're putting all family in danger. This child has nothing. do it nothing. She's innocent. If you would have got in there, you would have did something to harm that child. I would have lost my. Like, because it's not fair.

Like, she ain't just getting nobody to call them to come to do that, though, man. She's innocent and it's not fair. It's not fair. It's not wrong. Eventually, the detectives return and tell Officer Jackson, they found some evidence. I'm still on by the way. And then three spent 45 cases I picked out. Inside the house? Yeah. So if Limer said to go ahead and cut them up and say it.

Okay. You want me to do it? Okay. Okay. Okay. So I don't know exactly what Detective Lammers is going to charge you with, but you are going to be charged with one of the weapons violations. violations. Come on with it, man. I'm gonna do it with my chest up, chin out. Probably the felonious assault. I don't know why it's going that deep, but at the end of day, like I told

y'all, the fact that don't nobody take no picture of that door, we're going to. Ain't nobody sat right here and notice that we had a child. You see that pallet and on that floor? It was a child laying on that floor, man. Like, come on, man. Y'all, y'all, like, it's protecting the castle, man. Let me say my piece before. So, like I said, like I told you earlier, just because you're charged with something doesn't mean it can't be amended. I'll get you some more. Or change later, or it doesn't mean, you know. I just don't like it, man, because at the end of the day,

I don't bother nobody. Okay. When you don't bother nobody, but I'm trying to go to work. Now I'm about to sit right here. I'm pumping to get fired for my job. I got to get out and find a whole new job and start my process all over again. And it's not fair that somebody can't literally kick him foot in the outdoor. And then on that round down the street with dark lights, man, like your race is off.

It's off. My life felt threatened. That's all stuff that can be brought up. That's what I'm telling you. Like, don't let today define you just I won't. Go to court. Go forward. I'm a great father. My kids. My truck loves me. You're with me. You're good. You're a big guy. I might use two sets on you. I'm going to charge with furzee. Just like you're praying. Okay. I'm going to behind your back. You got any shoulder problems? Yeah. My right shoulder. I got two sets. She's a big guy. I'm gonna do two sessions now you've been So he'll be back with us to the station.

We have a little bit of things for you to deal. Just relax service, sir. All right, I promise you, you did nothing wrong, man. I'll be very little appreciate you, man. I promise you. I would do everything you need me to do, sir. I'm surprised. Yeah, I don't, I don't, I'm not.

I'm a big believer in, you are asking you my own person, I don't know. Let's go back to my core. You ever heard the, uh, come on a, I'm sorry about it. It's all, baby. Jarvis Godfrey was charged with felonious assault, two counts of discharge of a firearm near a prohibited premises, and improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone.

He was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center and later posted an $80,000 bond. Since that time, he has started a go-fund me to raise money for his legal bills. He wrote, I'm currently out on an $80,000 bond facing multiple felony charges and one misdemeanor after an incident on April 4, 26, early Saturday morning at 5.30 a.m. What's being said about me in the news does not reflect who I truly am. Those who know me personally know I am a dedicated father and someone who has always tried to do right. That day, my home was aggressively disrupted and my only priority was protecting my family. As a father, that instinct is natural. Unfortunately, this.

The situation has been portrayed in a way that paints me as something I am not. I have never been in trouble with the law before. I am not the person they are making me out to be. I am simply a father who was trying to protect his family, and now I'm facing serious consequences because of it. I'm asking for your support during this time. Any help you can give towards securing a lawyer would mean everything to me and my daughters. I want to be here for them to continue raising and protecting them. police said the four juveniles involved were charged with disorderly conduct.

So we'll keep an eye on this case and let you know how it pans out. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Ann Janette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.