Dayton police officer pleads guilty in home break-in

DAYTON — A former Dayton police officer accused of kicking down the door of a Strathaven Drive home and assaulting the home owner pleaded guilty to trespass.

Torrence Laprath, 33, of Dayton, was scheduled to go to trial for aggravated burglary Monday, but pleaded down to the fourth-degree felony earlier this week, according to Montgomery County court records.

His sentencing is scheduled for July 3.

Laprath is facing up to 18 months in prison and is eligible for probation, according to court documents.

Laprath, an 11-year veteran of the Dayton Police Department, was fired following an internal investigation, according to personnel records. His last day was May 3.

The department had placed Laprath on unpaid administrative leave in November.

The charge stemmed from a Nov. 11 incident, when he reportedly broke into a Strathaven Drive home after attending a party at the Dayton FOP Lodge.

“He kicked my front door wide open. My wife and daughter are freaked out and so am I,” the homeowner said in a 9-1-1 call. “He came right after me and tried to tackle me, but I got away and got on top of him and I’m sitting on top of him right now.”

Laprath, who was off-duty at the time, was “highly intoxicated,” according to a Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office statement.