The Villager Newspaper Online Your Community News – Cleveland's Westshore
Car Jumps Mailbox at Drug Mart
On 4/20/22 at approx. 3:30 p.m., Westlake Police Officers responded to Drug Mart at Dover and Detroit Roads along with the Westlake Fire Department due to a vehicle striking the building.
Luckily no one was injured in the mishap which caused some structural damage to the entranceway.
While the fire department assessed the damage to the building, the Westlake Post Office responded to the scene to collect mail that was strewn about from a damaged mail collection box. Family was called to pick up the elderly female driver. Paperwork was sent to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to request that the driver be retested to assure they are safe to operate a car.
Luckily no one was injured in the mishap which caused some structural damage to the entranceway.
While the fire department assessed the damage to the building, the Westlake Post Office responded to the scene to collect mail that was strewn about from a damaged mail collection box. Family was called to pick up the elderly female driver. Paperwork was sent to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to request that the driver be retested to assure they are safe to operate a car.
Man in Trees Draws Suspicions
On 4/22/22 at approx. 2PM, Westlake Police officers responded to the area of the woods by the former Chase Bank on Detroit Rd. A concerned citizen saw a man in the trees who appeared to be “casing” buildings in the area. Officers did locate the described male who was found to be wanted by numerous agencies including the Cuyahoga County Sheriff Dept, Avon PD, Parma PD and Strongsville PD. To top it off the 37yo had a felony warrant from the Erie County Sheriff for failing to register as a sex offender as was required from previous convictions. The Cleveland resident was arrested and transported to the Cuyahoga County Jail.
Credit Card Skimmer Nabbed
On 4/14/22 WPD received a call from Fredrick County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia requesting an assist with locating a supposed Westlake resident who was wanted in VA for numerous counts of felony fraud in that state. Past reports indicated that the 28yo male had been involved with using skimming devices to collect others’ credit card information in Texas as well. Detectives surveilled the area of the man’s residence until he was seen pulling into the Detroit Rd apartment complex on 4/15 at about 4PM. The fraudster was stopped and arrested without incident. The man was transported to the County Jail to await extradition to Virginia.
Driver Flees the Scene
On 4/16/22 at approx. 2PM officers responded to the scene of a motor vehicle crash on Crocker at Detroit. The striking vehicle was reported to have fled the scene on Detroit Rd. Using license plate readers and traffic cameras, investigators were able to obtain the license plate of the Audi that left the crash. Cuyahoga Falls Police assisted by contacting the registered owner of the Audi at their house. Westlake Officers are still confirming the circumstances of the crash and who was driving when it occurred.
Shoplifter Wanted
On 4/16/22 at about 2:15PM officers responded to the Sunglasses Hut at Crocker Park for a reported shoplifting. The employees stated that a suspect had taken about $1000 worth of merchandise and left without paying. The witnesses added that a second person was distracting the employee while their accomplice was stealing the expensive sun glasses. Officers are still trying to get the store video to obtain photos of the suspect(s).
Twice the Legal Limit
On 4/17/22 at about 7PM officers stopped a Ford Escape for speeding on Center Ridge at Schwartz. The driver had difficulty manipulating his wallet to search for an ID card. The 25yo Avon Lake male was already under a license suspension due to an OVI in 2021. After noting that the driver was slurring his speech, he was administered field sobriety tests. The male was arrested for OVI and driving under suspension. At the Westlake Jail he took a breath test and was found to be over 2 times the legal limit. He was later released to a sober acquaintance.
Scammed for Over $1000
On 4/22/22 at about 4:30PM an officer responded to a resident’s home after they reported that they had been the victim on a scam. The victim had received a call from a person pretending to be from the Summit County Sheriff Department. The male scammer scared our victim into believing that they had warrants for their arrest for failing to appear for federal jury duty. Of course the remedy was to pay a bond. The victim was instructed to purchase green dot money gift cards from a store and to read the PIN and serial numbers to the fake court official over the phone. The citizen was out over $1000 before realizing it was probably a scam. A call to the Summit County Sheriff Department confirmed that their phone number was being spoofed to make it appear to be a legitimate call. A report was generated but it is unlikely the victim will be reimbursed for their lost funds.
Bay Police Host National Drug Takeback Day
Bay Village Police will participate in National Drug Take Back Day on Saturday April 30. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Officers will be in the lobby of the police department to collect medications no longer needed by residents, including pills, liquids, patches and syringes. Take Back Day is a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs, so they don’t end up in the wrong hands or polluting waterways
Landlord Headache
On 04/18/2022, at 1607 hrs, the owner of a residence in the 300 block of Huntmere contacted Bay Village Police. She had a verbal agreement with a tenant to stay at the house she owned for a few months while the tenant got back on her feet after experiencing some personal tragedies. While living there, the tenant caused damage to the house and changed the locks. This civil issue was documented, and the owner was referred to her attorney.
Tax Fraud
On 04/19/2022, at 1119 hrs, a resident in the 26700 block of Bruce reported someone had fraudulently filed their taxes. While filing their taxes on Turbo Tax, numerous alerts popped up indicating their taxes had already been filed. Police are investigating.
Spike Strips Deployed
On 04/20/2022, at 2249 hrs, Rocky River PD advised they were in pursuit of a vehicle west bound on Lake Rd. approaching Bay Village. The pursuit was initiated by Lakewood PD after a driver fled a traffic stop. BVPD officers were able to use spike strips to flatten the tires on the vehicle and safely stop it in the area of Cahoon Rd. The driver was taken into custody without incident. The 46-yoa Willoughby resident was arrested by RRPD and will face various felony drug and fleeing/eluding charges.
Strange Behavior
On 04/24/2022, at 0404 hrs, a resident in the 23000 block of Lake Rd. reported she was loading her luggage in her car to go to the airport when she was approached by a male driving a grey 4 door sedan. The male rolled down his window and asked the resident if she had any cigarettes. She told him she did not, and the male drove off. Officers were dispatched to the area but were unable to locate the vehicle. They also checked the callers house and everything was secure.
