The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
“Toy” Guns Becoming a Menace
ATTENTION PARENTS!!! Westlake Police continue to receive reports of juveniles firing airsoft, BB, and/or splatter ball guns at random victims throughout the City. This appears to be connected to the social media trend where individuals record the act and post it to TikTok and other platforms. Please speak with your children about the seriousness of this behavior, especially if your child has one of these “toy” guns. These guns can cause serious injury, or be easily mistaken for a real firearm! We need your help in preventing a tragic accident before it happens. Anyone caught engaging in this type of activity will face criminal charges.
In Bay Village, two reports of Orbeez (soft gel) gun incidents.
– On 04/03/2022, at 1344 hrs, a juvenile pedestrian reported that he was on Dover Center near the railroad tracks when heard a popping noise, and then lightly felt something hit his jacket. He then realized he had been shot at with an Orbeez gun. He believed the shots came from an older silver SUV that was southbound on Dover Center. The juvenile was uninjured. Police are investigating.
– On 04/09/2022, at 2201 hrs, a juvenile leaving Bay High School reported someone shot his car with an Orbeez gun. Damage was done to the vehicle. Police are investigating.
Hot Tub Altercation
On 4/3/22 at about 4:45AM Westlake Police officers responded to a report of a fight at the Sturbridge Square Apartments hot tub. A group of males and females had been enjoying the facilities when an altercation began. One male was struck in the head with a thrown bottle of wine. The injured victim was transported to the hospital for treatment. One male was arrested for disorderly conduct while intoxicated while his relative, the suspect in the assault, ran from the scene and was not located. Detectives are following up with the investigation.
Overage Drinking
On 4/1/22 at approx. 11:30PM. WPD received a 911 call reporting a possible OVI driving on Center Ridge and Dover Center. The concerned citizen relayed that the Lincoln had almost struck him several times and was driving over the lane lines repeatedly. Officers found the described vehicle on Clague Rd and stopped it. The driver appeared to be under the influence and was field tested. Officers arrested the 72yo female Westlake resident for OVI. After making arrangements with a family member for the pick up of the innocent K9 passenger in the vehicle, the driver was transported to the Westlake Jail. The female tested over the legal limit and was later released to a sober family member.
Injured Waterfowl
On 4/3/22 at approx. 3PM WPD received a call from a citizen reporting that there was a goose on Crocker Rd that appeared to be alive but with 2 broken legs. Officers responded with a pet carrier and transported the injured waterfowl to the Lake Erie Nature and Science Center for possible treatment.
Scammed for Thousands!
On 4/4/22 at approx. 2PM a Westlake resident came to WPD to report being a victim of a scam. The man had been using an unknown dating application when he was contacted via text by a person purporting to be a 25yo female in Elyria. After building a text based relationship, the scammer talked the victim into helping her buy herself out of a contract with a bad boss. The victim was tasked with buying gift cards to help out this person in need. After consulting with a trusted friend, the victim realized that they had been scammed out of thousands of dollars. Officers attempted to follow up with several phone numbers involved to learn they were all spoofed.
Drugs, Cash, Underage Passenger, No License
On 4/6/22 at approx. 1PM officers stopped a vehicle for speeding on I90 at Bradley Rd. Neither of the 2 occupants had a valid driver’s license. Investigation revealed that the 16yo passenger was in possession of numerous grams of suspected heroin/fentanyl. The driver was the juvenile’s 29yo brother who had thousands of dollars of cash on his person. Both males were arrested and the vehicle was impounded. Suspected marijuana and 2 scales were also collected as evidence. The 16yo Cleveland resident was picked up by a parent at the police station. Drug charges will be recommended to Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. The 29yo Avon resident was charged with felony drug trafficking. Additional charges of corruption of a minor and tampering with evidence will be presented to the county Grand Jury.
Slumped Over the Wheel
On 3/26/22 at approx. 12:30AM WPD received multiple 911 calls about a vehicle that drove off of I90 into a ditch near Crocker Rd. Officers arrived to find that the driver was still slumped over in the vehicle. The 47yo Avon resident was able to step from the car but immediately lost his balance and slid to the ground. With assistance he was able to walk to the roadway where he was field tested. The driver was arrested for OVI. At the Westlake Jail the male refused a breath test. His license was placed under suspension and he was charged with OVI and failure to control his vehicle.
Asleep in the Drive-Thru
On 3/27/22 at about 2:30AM WPD received a call from a concerned motorist who reported that a female, operating a car in the drive thru of Taco Bell, was falling asleep at the wheel. Officers stopped her before leaving the parking lot and noted that she did appear drunk. When questioned, the driver admitted that she felt “a little intoxicated.” The 30yo Westlake resident was field tested and arrested for OVI. She later refused a breath test. The vehicle was impounded along with the Taco Bell drive thru bag.
Just a Little Suspicious
On 3/27/22 at approx. 9PM WPD received a call from an observant motorist about a red vehicle operating on I90 W/B in the area of Clague Rd. The complainant believed that the car could have been stolen as there was no license plate and the back window was completely broken out. The described vehicle was stopped by Bradley Rd after it made a traffic violation. Officers noted that the passenger side of the vehicle had heavy damage. While speaking the driver who had no license, an officer observed the handle of a handgun under one of the seats of the car. Both the driver, a 23yo Cleveland resident, and the passenger, a 25yo Cleveland resident, were compliant and were safely removed from the vehicle without incident. Investigation revealed that there were in fact 2 firearms in the vehicle. One of these guns was reported as being stolen in Lorain. Neither occupant was allowed to possess a firearm due to prior violent felony convictions. The 23yo driver was also on parole. Both males were arrested and transported to the Westlake Jail. Suspected crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana were also recovered from the vehicle. Both males were charged with having weapons under disability as well as possession of stolen property. Additional charges for felony drug possession are pending lab analysis. Both persons were transported to the County Jail for processing.
Vehicle Follows Pedestrian
On 3/30/22 at about 5:15AM, a WPD officer on patrol noticed a male walking down the sidewalk of Detroit Rd by Dover Center. What caught his attention was that a vehicle was slowly following the pedestrian down the road. It appeared that the pair were in some type of argument. Officers mediated the disagreement and the male got into the vehicle. He soon jumped back out though and requested a ride to a rapid station. Before giving a courtesy ride, the officers found out that the 25yo Cleveland resident was actually wanted in Cleveland for an outstanding aggravated assault warrant. He was indeed transported to Cleveland but only to be transferred into the custody of a CPD officer to face his charges.
Police K-9 Finds Drug Evidence
On 3/30/22 at approx. 1:30PM an officer stopped a vehicle on I90 W/B at the Avon line for moving violations. The driver, a 30yo Lorain resident, was found to have an entered felony warrant for methamphetamine possession. A police K9 hit on the vehicle which resulted in the location of suspected heroin and meth in the car along with hypodermics, a burnt spoon and other paraphernalia. The passenger, a 23yo Lorain female, was arrested along with the driver. Charges of drug possession are pending lab analysis. The male was transferred into the custody of Barberton PD on their warrant. The female was released.
Deer Vs. Vehicles
Westlake Police have seen several deer vs vehicle collisions over the last week. Please – slow down and put down the phone when driving. Some crashes can be avoided with added driver vigilance. Following the speed limits will limit the damage and possible injuries caused by unavoidable deer strikes.
