Westlake Police Report Machete Man at Crocker Park

On 8/25/20 at approx. 9:15PM WPD received 911 calls about an altercation at Crocker Park.  A male had accosted a couple walking their dogs on Main St and was waving around a long knife that was described as a “machete.”  The victim reported on 911 that the male had used the knife to steal his dog and had in fact cut the dog’s leash to gain control of the K9.  The victim added that the suspect tried to provoke him into a physical altercation.  Eventually the suspect let the dog go but was yelling at other patrons of the shopping center who reported that they thought that the male was “on something.”  Officers arrived and found the male walking on Crocker Park Bl.  They tried to calm the man who was ranting about his children and shootings in Cleveland.  They talked him into putting down his knives and followed as he briefly walked away from the officers.  The man struggled against being placed into handcuffs but was taken into custody.  Neither the suspect nor the officers involved reported being injured.  The machete sized knife along with a 3in folding knife were recovered from the suspect.  The 30yo North Olmsted resident was checked out by paramedics before being booked into the Westlake Jail.  The victims were upset but uninjured as were the pet dogs.  The suspect was charged with felony aggravated robbery.  A $100,000 cash or surety bond was levied by Rocky River Municipal Court and he was transferred to the Cuyahoga County Jail.

Elderly Victim Scammed for Thousands

On 8/26/20 at about 11AM a resident of Santa Clara Drive came to WPD to report that she had been scammed out of a large amount of money.  The 83yo had received a call the day before purporting to be from her grandson.  The “grandson” said that he had been at fault for a bad traffic accident and needed legal help.  A 2nd male got on the phone claiming to be the grandson’s public defender.  He relayed that the grandson needed thousands of dollars to pay the court to get out of trouble.  The duo talked the concerned grandparent into going to the bank for cash.  When she said that she would not drive into Cleveland to meet outside a Bail Bonds office, the fake lawyer said that as luck would have it they had a courier in the area who could pick up the funds.  The perpetrators added that the grandmother could not tell anyone about the “bond payment” because there was a gag order on the case and she would get into trouble.  A male driving a 10ft U-Haul truck arrived at the home.  The victim said that he was very polite as he collected the cash and drove away.  The victim was out thousands of dollars.  Investigators are following up with video from the area and comparing notes with other Northeast Ohio police departments who reported having very similar crimes.

Woman Attempts to “Jump from Car”

On 8/25/20 at about 9:35AM WPD received a call of a dispute in a car that was travelling on I90.   A concerned citizen noted that a female was attempting to jump from an open passenger door but the male driver kept pulling her back in.  Officers located the described vehicle in the parking lot of the Double Tree hotel on Crocker.  The occupants had just exited.  The officer noted that the female half showed indications that she had just been in a fight.  The nearby male attempted to hide behind parked cars.  The male refused to listen to orders and had to be physically restrained.  Officers noted that he was sweating profusely, had constricted pupils and was foaming at the mouth.  He was also verbally threatening the officers’ lives.  Fearing that he was overdosing an ambulance was summoned to the scene while the incident was being investigated.  The female explained that the detained male had used drugs and had attempted to cut her with a knife and strike her with a tire iron.  Officers noted that she had minor injuries.  WPD accompanied the male to UH St. John Medical Center.  He was later charged with domestic violence, resisting arrest, unlawful restraint and menacing.  He will be arraigned in Rocky River Municipal Court on 8/28/20.  Several agencies including Cleveland PD, Brooklyn PD and Strongsville PD placed holders on the 36yo Cleveland resident for offenses such as prior domestic violence and shoplifting incidents. 

Cocaine & Ammo Found

 On 8/23/20 at approx. 11:20AM an officer stopped a vehicle on Crocker by I90 for a traffic violation.  The occupants seemed overly nervous and the officer noted that the driver could not follow simple instructions.  Investigation revealed that the 25yo Lorain resident was in possession of a small baggie of white powder which he admitted was cocaine.  A search of the car revealed other baggies, a scale, a grinder and several rounds of 9mm ammunition.  The male and his female passenger were sent on their way.  They will be summoned to court when the lab results of the suspected contraband are returned. 

 Unconscious Man Tracked by GPS 

On 8/24/20 at approx. 11:15PM an officer noted a commotion in the parking lot of the BP at Columbia and Detroit Rds.  A female in the lot screamed that her son was in distress in the driver’s seat of a nearby car.  She had been calling 911 when the officer noticed her.  The officer quickly noted that the male was unconscious, sweating and having trouble breathing. He administered several doses of Narcan to the 36yo Avon Lake resident before the ambulance arrived to take him to UH St. John Medical Center.  The mother explained that she had not been able to get a hold of her son and had tracked him using the GPS on his phone.  Officers located numerous pills and paraphernalia in the vehicle.  The male was conscious and talking when investigators spoke to him later in the night.