Homeless man arrested after frightening girls in downtown Athens

By Joe Johnson

Christopher Jerrell McKibben was arrested in downtown Athens on the afternoon of November 19th after he reportedly frightened a couple of teenage girls.

The girls, aged 16 and 17, were walking on the sidewalk along North Thomas Street at about 2:25 p.m. when McKibben came at them with his arms outstretched and saying, “I have to do this.”

When one of the girls tried running into the street the 33-year-old homeless man allegedly grabbed her by the hip but she slipped away and ran to a police sergeant who was working a special duty assignment nearby.

McKibben was arrested for simple battery and also for loitering or prowling because he had previously been banned from the downtown area.

One of the officers who responded to the incident reported that he had several encounters with McKibben that week and that the homeless man continued to loiter downtown despite having been banned from the area by a judge.