Leitchfield man kicks in back door to apartment, steals weapons

A Leitchfield man with a history of violence- and drug possession-related offenses has been captured after kicking in the back door of an apartment and stealing multiple items, including a handgun.

On Thursday afternoon, a Leitchfield man arrived home from work and found 25-year-old Ralph D. Meridith lying on his couch and the back door of his apartment kicked in. Meridith, who had a handgun and other weapons belonging to the victim, fled on foot from the apartment, police said.

Multiple Leitchfield officers arrived on scene and searched the area but did not find Meridith, although police did recover the items the suspect stole from the residence.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, Leitchfield Police Department Sgt. Keith Harrell received information regarding Meridith’s whereabouts. Harrell, LPD Officer Chase Stinnett and Constable Mark Stanton traveled to Bluebird Road in Falls of Rough and located Meridith hiding underneath a mobile home.

He was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary and lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center.

Meridith, according to the Kentucky Department of Corrections, was convicted in February 2025 in Grayson County for identity theft, a class D felony. He is on probation until March 2030.

In May 2023, Meridith was arrested by Leitchfield police during a traffic stop and served with a warrant out of Grayson County accusing the suspect of heroin possession, and a warrant out of Daviess County for first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault (dating violence).

In late January 2022, Meridith ran from Leitchfield police after officers received a report of a suspicious person on West White Oak Street. In that case, he was served with warrants charging him with heroin possession and first-degree strangulation.

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com