WEST SHORE BLUES: The Best of the Beats

Coyotes in Westlake

Unfortunately, we have received 2 separate reports of Coyotes attacking small dogs in the city recently. This is just a reminder to stay in sight of your pets, mainly small dogs, when you let them out especially in the evening/night/dawn. Keep them on a leash if not in a fenced in yard. See attachments for tips or navigate to The Ohio Dept of Natural Resources site for more info: ohiodnr.gov

Scam Alert

WPD continues to take reports from people who are tricked into placing cash into a Crypto ATM. DO NOT allow your family member/neighbor/friend fall victim to this. Education is key. Talk about scams with those you care about.

How Scammers Trick You Into Using a Bitcoin Machine

Scammers often pretend to be someone trustworthy—like a bank, government agency, police officer, or even a family member in trouble. They may say there’s an emergency, a problem with your bank account, or that you owe money. Then, they tell you to go to a Bitcoin machine (Bitcoin ATM) and deposit money there.

This is ALWAYS a scam. No real business, government, or bank will ever ask you to pay using a Bitcoin machine.

Perfect Couple

On 4/19/25 at approx. 10AM, officers made a traffic stop of a Chevy after witnessing a traffic violation at Columbia and Detroit. The operator, a 33yo Cleveland man, was found to be under a license suspension and had active warrants from Westlake, Elyria, Rocky River and Cleveland Hts. Unfortunately for him he also was prohibited from being with the female in the passenger seat due to a protection order issued by an Erie County judge. Investigation revealed that the protected female, a 25yo Cleveland resident, was in possession of a loaded handgun. The male was arrested and charged with driving under suspension and TPO violation as well as warrants. The female was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon. The vehicle was towed from the scene.

Warrant and Alcohol Don’t Mix

On 4/19/25 at about 5:15PM, an officer stopped a vehicle on I90 at Cahoon. The passenger was found to have an open container of alcohol and had a felony warrant out of Cuyahoga County for a Probation Violation out of a burglary conviction. The 47yo Lorain man was arrested and transported to the county jail. He was warned about the open container violation.

And Then He Lost His Phone

On 4/20/25 at approx. 4:15AM, WPD received a 911 call from a resident reporting that an unknown man had parked a car in their residential driveway and was knocking on their door. Officers arrived to find that the described vehicle was partially in the driveway but was mostly blocking a lane of Center Ridge Rd. The driver was just outside the car which had a flat tire. The investigator noted that the man appeared unsteady on his feet and had the odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. When asked why he was pounding on the door to the residence, the driver said that he was looking for his phone. He did not know the people at the home and could not explain why he thought his lost phone might be there. When asked, the man said that he did not have “that much” to drink. Officers initiated field sobriety tests. The 25yo Westlake man was arrested for OVI. His car was towed from the scene. He also refused a breath test which resulted in an immediate license suspension. He was later released to a sober relative.

Stuck Raccoon

On 4/20/25 at about 9:20AM, WPD received a call from a concerned citizen. The resident reported that a raccoon was stuck in their fence. The animal was not too happy because it was stuck upside down and was struggling to free itself without luck. Officers were dispatched to assist. They were able to free the critter who did not stick around to thank the brave rescuers. She immediately ran under a nearby shed and appeared unharmed.

Felonious Assault Suspect Arrested

Felonious Assault Suspect arrested within hours. On 4/23/25 at approx. 2:30AM, WPD received multiple 911 calls reporting a woman was laying in the street on Canterbury at Center Ridge Road. According to the witness, the person looked like she had been assaulted. Officers arrived and found out that she was conscious but was incoherent. The victim appeared to have life threatening injuries but could not relay what happened to her. The female was rushed to UH St. John Medical Center by Westlake Fire Paramedics. Westlake Officers and detectives found out that the woman had been at the nearby Time Warp Bar earlier in the night. Evidence at the scene, available technology and interviews of witnesses were used to develop two persons of interest. WEB SWAT was called in to execute a search warrant at a residence on Center Ridge in Westlake where one man was detained. Additional evidence was collected at the residence. A 22 yo Westlake man was detained at the home and is currently in the Westlake Jail on charges of felonious assault. The 25yo victim, the partner of the suspect, is still being treated in the ICU at the hospital. The other man of interest has been located and interviewed. He was not involved in the crime and is cooperating with the investigation.

Street Fight

On 4/24/25 at about 3:40AM, WPD received a 911 call reporting that 4 people were on the street fighting on Patti Park. The caller updated the dispatcher when one of the involved females left in a dark colored SUV. Responding officers stopped the vehicle in the area while others responded to the scene. Ambulances were summoned for 2 women involved in the fight. Both had lacerations. Investigation revealed that the brawl was the end of an evening of communication harassment between the adults over relationship status. A 36yo Cleveland woman was arrested and charged with assault. Protection orders were sought from Rocky River Municipal Court.

Parking Lot Disturbance

On 4/24/25 at approx. 7:30PM, officers responded to the Westspring Inn on Sperry for a reported disturbance in the parking lot. Police separated 2 males and a female with children in tow upon arrival. No one claimed that a physical altercation happened but threats of bodily harm were documented. A 55yo Willoughby male was arrested and charged with menacing the other man. The 55yo also had an entered warrant for dangerous drugs out of Lake County. The female, a 30yo who was also from Willoughby, was arrested after it was discovered that she had a felony warrant for drugs as well. Officers arranged for the children to be transported to a relative’s home.

No Pants, No Underwear

On 4/3/25 WPD received a call from a medical center on Columbia Rd.  The employees there were reporting a suspicious person.  The guy was described as being in his 70’s.  What made him suspicious was that on two recent days, he was seen wandering the halls of the facility without pants or underwear.  On 3/31/25 the man was seen wearing a black wig, white leggings, a white shirt and black boots.  On 4/2/25 the same suspect was walking around in the same clothing (or lack thereof) minus the wig.  Investigators collected surveillance and checked Westlake Flock License Plate readers to develop a suspect.  The 76 yo Rocky River man was still on probation through Rocky River Municipal Court for prior convictions involving the same type of activities.  An arrest warrant for indecent exposure was obtained.  On 5/2/25 the man turned himself in at the Westlake Jail.

Scam Stopped in Progress

On 4/25/25 at approx. 12:30PM, WPD received a call from an employee of a convenience store at Dover Center and Center Ridge Rds reporting a scam in progress.  An elderly female was in the store depositing large sums of cash into a Crypto Currency ATM and did not believe the employee after being advised they were being defrauded.  Officers arrived and found the victim depositing $100 bills into the machine while talking on the phone.  At first, she did not believe the officers when told about the scam.  The woman was on the phone with a man who claimed to be an agent with the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).  Once the officer spoke with the “agent,” the call was ended.  Earlier, the victim had received a pop-up on her laptop indicating that her Facebook was compromised.  The message instructed her to call a phone number which it said was “Microsoft.”  The fraudulent support person on the phone told the victim that her Facebook was hacked and that child pornography was planted on her account.  The FTC had to get involved to clear up the hacking.  The victim lost several thousand dollars.

Loose Dog, Inebriated Owner

On 4/25/25 at about 2:30PM, a concerned citizen located a dog wandering around Market District on Detroit Rd.  The man noted that the brown and white mixed breed dog was friendly but did not have any tags.  He was nice enough to drop the K9 at the WPD kennel where we fed and housed the good boy.  At approx. 4PM, the owner of the dog arrived at WPD to retrieve him.  While talking to the officers who were letting the puppy out of dog jail, the female was heard slurring her speech.  As she walked to the WPD lobby to fill out the release paperwork, she was also unsteady on her feet.  The officers noted that she had driven up to the PD.  The 59yo Westlake woman was field tested and arrested for OVI.  She was walked back to the WPD human jail where she was booked in and charged.  Both her and her K9 companion were later released to a sober friend.

Minor with Handgun

On 4/26/25 at about 7:15PM, while on a traffic detail at Crocker Park, officers stopped a vehicle for an equipment violation.  The operator was found to be in possession of a loaded handgun despite being just 20 years old.  He was arrested for improper handling of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon.

Firearm Stolen

On 4/27/25 at approx. 2:20AM, a resident called WPD to report a theft.  The man’s vehicle had been entered during the overnight hours.  He believed that he had locked the Jeep but there were no signs of forced entry on the Grand Cherokee.  Unfortunately, the man’s firearm was missing from the center console.  A theft report was taken.

Garage Doors Vandalized

On the morning of 3/22/25 WPD started receiving reports of residential garage doors being damaged by a group of males.  After reviewing surveillance from the homeowners, it appeared that the group drove around the city during the overnight hours and randomly picked out homes to damage by physically jumping against the closed overhead garage doors before fleeing in a waiting vehicle.  In all, 5 homes had doors damaged.  We released surveillance video and still photos of the perpetrators in an attempt to identify the young looking people.  WPD received several tips and we thank the public for passing around the information as well as those who were brave enough to actually make a difference for these victims by calling the WPD.  On 4/27/25, an 18yo Hinkley man was arrested on charges of criminal damage in regards to this case.  He is cooperating with the detectives investigating.  Full restitution for the victims will be sought by the Westlake Law Department.

Revenge Vandalism?

On April 22, 2025 at 8:53am, a resident called Bay Village Police to report that her son’s vehicle had been spray-painted in the overnight hours. Officers were dispatched to the home and found that black spray paint had been used on the vehicle, driveway, walkway and porch. Eggs had also been thrown at the residence. The homeowner advised that her son had a recent breakup but is unsure if the other party was involved. Police are investigating.

Lawn Turfed

On April 22, 2025 at 6:49pm, a Lake Road resident called Bay Village Police to report that his lawn had been damaged. Police responded to the area and confirmed that a vehicle had left ruts through the homeowner’s yard and five to six other lawns as well. Police investigated and discovered that a light-colored pickup truck had been driven across multiple properties. Bay Village Police are investigating the incident.

Defrauded

On April 25, 2025 at 12:41pm, Bay Village Police were advised of a Fraud. The victim stated that someone had hacked her bank account and there were numerous fraudulent transactions. She is working with the bank and with Bay Village Detectives to investigate the situation.

Failed Sobriety Tests

On April 26, 2025 at 2:08am, Bay Village Police were on patrol in the area of Clague Road and Wolf Road when they stopped a vehicle for a moving violation. Police spoke with the male operator, a 29-year-old Euclid resident who appeared to be intoxicated. The male failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. On station, the male refused a breath test to determine his blood alcohol content. The male is facing charges in Rocky River Municipal Court.

Under the Influence

On April 26, 2025 at 11:22pm, Bay Village Police were on patrol in the area of Lake Road and Oak Cliff Drive when they stopped a vehicle for a moving violation. Police spoke with the male operator, a 30-year-old Lakewood resident, who appeared to be intoxicated. The male failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. On station, the male consented to a breath test which showed a .091% blood alcohol content. The male is facing charges in Rocky River Municipal Court. A female passenger in the vehicle was also under the influence. She was transported to the Bay Village PD to await a sober ride. She was not charged.

Intoxicated

On April 26, 2025 at 11:35pm, Bay Village Police were on patrol in the area of Canterbury Road and Wolf Road when they stopped a vehicle for a moving violation. Police spoke with the male operator, a 34-year-old Cleveland resident, who appeared to be intoxicated. The male failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. On station, the male refused a breath test to determine his blood alcohol content. The male is facing charges in Rocky River Municipal Court.