Suspicious Tracking Device Found on Rented SUV in Macedonia
MACEDONIA, Ohio – Macedonia police documented a late-night call about a suspicious tracking device discovered on a rented SUV parked at a home on Sherri Drive.
Shortly after 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, an officer was dispatched to Sherri Drive for a report of suspicion involving a rental vehicle. A couple told police they had picked up a white 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee from a rental company earlier that evening, around 6 p.m., for an upcoming business trip.
Later in the evening, both of their iPhones issued alerts that a tracking device was moving with the vehicle. Concerned, they contacted the rental company to see if the device might be standard equipment. According to the report, the company told them it does not place tracking devices on its vehicles.
The couple then decided to move the SUV away from their residence out of caution. Officers met separately with each of them — one at the residence and another at the vehicle — to go over what had happened and to secure the device. The tracking device was recovered by an officer, photographed as evidence, and then discarded, according to the report.
The pair told police they had no idea who might have placed the device on the vehicle. They also reported no known disputes or individuals who would likely target them in that way. As a precaution, officers advised that their home would be placed on a house checklist for a week so patrols could keep an extra eye on the property.
No further suspicious activity was reported at the time, and the case was closed as a suspicion report with the recovered device documented as miscellaneous property.
Late-Night Route 8 Traffic Stop Ends With Drug Paraphernalia Charge for Sagamore Hills Man
A separate Macedonia police report describes a late-night traffic stop that began with dim, improvised taillights and ended with a drug paraphernalia citation and a transfer to another department on an outstanding warrant.
Just before 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, a Macedonia police sergeant was patrolling northbound on State Route 8 near East Highland Road when he noticed a black Toyota SUV with unusually dim rear lighting. As he followed the vehicle, he saw that the “taillights” were actually small puck-style lights, more suited for lighting a drawer or cabinet, and their glow appeared as a dim pink color that was not visible from the standard distance required by law.
While following the SUV, the sergeant checked the Ohio license plate number in his in-car computer and learned the registered owner — a 40-year-old Sagamore Hills man — had an active warrant out of Strongsville Police Department for drug paraphernalia.
The driver then turned left onto State Route 82 without using a turn signal, according to the report, giving the officer grounds for a traffic stop.
During the stop, the sergeant recognized the driver from a previous encounter in October, when the same vehicle had been pulled over for several equipment and driving violations. At that time, the driver reportedly said he was working on getting the vehicle repaired. The man handed over his license, and when asked about drugs, said there were none in the vehicle and that, at most, he might have a small amount of marijuana.
The sergeant returned to his cruiser, requested a K-9 unit and began writing citations related to the traffic and equipment violations. A Northfield Village officer arrived with a K-9 partner, which conducted an exterior sniff of the SUV and gave a positive alert at the driver’s side door.
The driver was asked to step to the front of the patrol vehicle while officers explained the K-9’s alert. During a search of the man, the sergeant found a small piece of folded aluminum foil in the driver’s front pants pocket. The foil showed burn marks in the center and contained a substance resembling a portion of a pill, according to the report.
The Sagamore Hills man was handcuffed, read his Miranda rights and placed in the back of another officer’s cruiser. When questioned, he reportedly said he did not know the foil was in his clothing and explained that it was the first time he had worn that jacket this year.
Officers searched the vehicle and did not locate marijuana, despite the driver’s earlier comment. They did, however, find a short length of black plastic straw in the driver’s door. The piece had been cut down to a size commonly associated with inhaling narcotics. Both the straw and the foil were collected as evidence and tagged as miscellaneous property.
Strongsville Police Department confirmed it wanted the Sagamore Hills man on the outstanding warrant. Macedonia officers cited him into Macedonia Mayor’s Court for possession of drug paraphernalia, unsafe vehicle (due to multiple equipment issues and a dashboard that had fallen toward the driver’s floor area), failure to use a turn signal, and taillight/license plate illumination violations. He was transported to meet Strongsville officers, and the Toyota SUV was towed from the scene.
The case was closed with society listed as the victim, reflecting the public-safety nature of the violations.
Mutual Aid: Macedonia Officer Assists With Loose Horse in Sagamore Hills
On the morning of Dec. 4, a Macedonia officer responded to Sagamore Hills to assist another agency with what was classified as an animal at large incident. The call came in shortly before 7 a.m., and the officer was sent to the area of Northfield Cemetery on Olde Eight Road.
Sagamore Hills authorities requested help searching for a loose horse that had been reported in the area. The Macedonia officer responded under mutual aid, joined the search and remained on scene until the animal was located. The report indicates the horse was found, and the officer then cleared the scene without incident.
For longtime readers, this type of call may bring to mind the 2019 case of Foxy, the lost horse whose story had a heartbreaking ending. That earlier coverage can be found here: Sad News About Foxy the Lost Horse.
This most recent case, however, ended without injuries, crashes, or property damage, and was closed as mutual aid/animal at large.
