Violent Crime
Aug. 31: Officer punched during domestic dispute at Walmart parking lot. A 22-year-old Bedford Heights man struck an officer in the face during what began as a routine escort to help recover personal property. The man became increasingly hostile when a 22-year-old woman brought police to retrieve keys from him. He made multiple threats, telling the officer “hey f@k n@#a stop talkin to me” and “you gonna get yo a@* punched on my momma bro.” When backup arrived and ordered him to the ground, he responded “I ain’t getting on no ground” before fleeing through the parking lot. A Taser deployment failed before he was tackled, but he managed to punch the officer before being subdued by multiple officers. He faces felony assault, obstructing official business, resisting arrest, menacing and disorderly conduct charges through Stow Municipal Court.
Drug-Related Arrests
Aug. 28: Woman concealed crack pipe during jail booking. A 55-year-old East Cleveland woman attempted to hide drug paraphernalia in her body cavity while being processed on an outstanding theft warrant. Despite jail staff detecting the object during routine searches, she repeatedly denied having contraband, claiming it was “a tampon” and later “just part of her coochie.” After continued questioning, she finally admitted to concealing a crack pipe internally and removed it herself. She admitted using the pipe to smoke crack cocaine. She was charged with obstructing official business and drug paraphernalia possession in addition to the original warrant.
Impaired Driving
Sept. 6: Mother arrested for OVI with 4-year-old in vehicle. A 37-year-old Macedonia woman was found intoxicated with a young child in the back seat of her Ford Explorer at an establishment on Freeway Drive at 2:44 a.m. She initially claimed she had “one White Claw” at a football game but later admitted to drinking “a gin and tonic” at the establishment. Video footage revealed her drinking alcohol inside the vehicle while the child was present and driving around the parking lot while consuming alcohol. After failing field sobriety tests, she repeatedly refused to enter the patrol car, requiring three officers to place her inside. She refused a breath test and was charged with OVI, resisting arrest, obstructing official business and child endangering. The child was released to grandparents.
Sept. 8: Cleveland man registers high BAC on Interstate 480. A 38-year-old man was arrested for OVI after being stopped for driving 80 mph in a 65 mph zone at 10:33 p.m. He failed field sobriety tests and admitted having “a couple of drinks but was not drunk.” His breath test registered 0.162%, more than twice the legal limit. Five passengers, including minors, were transported to a safe location for alternate transportation. He faces charges through Stow Municipal Court.
Aug. 31: Woman found unresponsive in vehicle at Wendy’s. A 36-year-old North Randall woman was discovered in the driver’s seat of a running Dodge Hornet with the vehicle not in park. Officers used entry tools to access the vehicle. She claimed she was “coming from a club in Cleveland” but failed all field sobriety tests. During testing, she “continuously stated that she was not driving” despite surveillance video showing her driving into the parking lot 39 minutes earlier. She refused a breath test and was charged with OVI and refusal through Stow Municipal Court.
Aug. 30: Two separate high-BAC arrests. A 24-year-old Munroe Falls man was clocked at 95 mph on Interstate 271 and registered 0.122% BAC after admitting to “two drinks earlier in Cleveland” and “smoking marijuana earlier.” A 24-year-old Cleveland man was found after a possible crash and registered 0.173% BAC. He claimed he had “a can of Cutwater” but later changed his story to “two Cutwater drinks.” An unopened 4-pack was found in his vehicle. Both face multiple charges through Macedonia Mayor’s Court.
Retail Theft
Sept. 9: Out-of-state theft attempt at Home Depot. A 38-year-old Baltimore, Maryland woman attempted to steal $125.75 worth of merchandise including paper towels, trash bags, propane and a rug. When confronted by loss prevention, she and her companion claimed they “did not attempt to take anything” and were “traveling back home to New York from Toledo.” She was arrested and charged through Stow Municipal Court.
Sept. 6: Major theft scheme at Home Depot involves nearly $4,000. A 30-year-old Brooklyn, New York man and an unidentified accomplice used empty mop bucket boxes to conceal $3,849.47 worth of electrical outlets and other items. The accomplice escaped in a Kia Carnival minivan with Florida plates tracked by Flock cameras. The arrested man was charged with fifth-degree felony theft.
Sept. 6: Multiple Walmart theft arrests. A 47-year-old West Salem man was arrested for concealing $271 worth of merchandise in his pockets despite being previously trespassed from the store. Separately, a 26-year-old Cleveland woman was arrested for not scanning $82.63 worth of items at self-checkout.
Sept. 2: Makeup theft at Walmart. A 31-year-old Northfield woman concealed three makeup items worth $15.91 in her purse and admitted to the theft after being read Miranda rights.
Aug. 31: Repeat offender strikes again. A 37-year-old Bedford man was arrested for skip-scanning items worth $10.65, his third theft arrest in recent months involving similar price-switching schemes totaling over $87.
Aug. 31: Flooring theft at Home Depot. A 67-year-old Sagamore Hills man was recognized by loss prevention from previous incidents and arrested for concealing $141.63 worth of flooring and other items. He told officers he “took the merchandise to work on flooring at his daughter’s house.”
Aug. 29: Barcode switching scheme at Walmart. A 38-year-old Garfield Heights man purchased glue and returned to attach lower-priced barcodes to weight sets worth $218. He fled when confronted but was intercepted by officers.
Sept. 5: Two women arrested for self-checkout fraud. A 34-year-old woman and 25-year-old woman, both of Bedford, placed $52.93 worth of merchandise in bags without scanning at Walmart.
Other Incidents
Sept. 6: Golf ball damages Elizabeth Lane residence. A 43-year-old man reported window damage from Windmill Golf Course with no way to identify the golfer responsible.
Sept. 2: Traffic stop yields weapons charges. A 46-year-old Macedonia woman was stopped for equipment violations and found to have a suspended license and no required interlock device. A loaded .38 Smith & Wesson revolver was discovered in her vehicle during inventory. She, who told officers she had no weapons, was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions including aggravated burglary and drug trafficking.
