WEST SHORE BLUES: The Best of the Beats

Better Safe than Sorry

On 10/7/26 at approx. 1PM, Westlake Police received a call from a concerned person reporting that a man was pulling rifles out of a vehicle in a parking lot of a business in the 26000 block of Detroit Rd. Not knowing the man’s motives, several officers responded to the parking lot where the male was located next to the described vehicle. It turns out that the employee of the business was handling BB Rifles as he was planning to sell them to another person. The incident checked OK.

Car vs. Landscape Trailer

On 10/7/26 at about 2:30PM, WPD officers responded to the report of a sports car that struck a landscaping trailer from behind on Hilliard Bl. The operator of the Nissan Coupe lost control due to a possible medical issue. The 77yo Bay Village man was cited with failure to control. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. No one was injured on the landscaping equipment.

Mental Health Crisis

On 10/8/26 at approx. noon, WPD received 911 calls reporting that a man was walking around the area of Hilliard Bl and Devonshire Ov causing alarm. The residents indicated that the man was waving around a knife while yelling about God and killing people. The suspect actually jumped a fence and entered the backyard of a home in that area causing the residents to lock themselves in their house. Officers arrived quickly and located the man. The 25yo from Lorain listened to the officers commands to separate himself from the knife and to allow himself be detained. He was able to relay that he was having a mental health crisis and had walked to the neighborhood after parking his vehicle approx. a mile away. The man was transported to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. Warrants for inducing panic were requested through Rocky River Municipal Court.

Truck with Handgun Stolen

On 10/8/26 at about 12:15PM, a resident called to report that his vehicle was stolen from the parking lot of a condo complex on Detroit Rd. The victim had parked his 2020 GMC 1500 pickup the evening before. He woke up the next morning to find that the vehicle was missing. Surveillance in the area shows that 2 persons arrived in another vehicle around 5:30AM. By 5:36AM, one of the suspects was leaving with the stolen truck. The victim indicated that his truck was locked at the time of the theft and he still possessed both sets of key fobs. Unfortunately, there was a handgun in the truck when it was taken. The truck was entered into police databases as being stolen. Detectives are following up.

Truck Theft

The morning of 10/8/26 WPD received a call from a resident of a condo complex in the 28000 block of Detroit Rd reporting a theft. The man had parked his white 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 pickup in the parking lot before retiring for the night. When he woke up the next morning, he realized that the truck was gone. He believed he had locked up the vehicle overnight. Surveillance video shows at least 2 persons arriving in the area in a vehicle at about 5:30AM. 6 minutes later, the victim’s truck is seen driving away. The victim’s handgun, left in a lockbox in the center console of the truck, was taken along with the vehicle. Flock license plate readers showed the stolen vehicle at Steelyard Commons in Cleveland. The pictured suspect entered the Wal-Mart for less than a minute before running back to the truck and fleeing the area. The suspect is described as being a Black or Hispanic man between 5’8”-5’10” and weighing around 160 lbs. He was wearing a blue or black Nike zip-up hoodie with a white undershirt, glasses and a receding hair line. The vehicle the suspects used to get to the theft was a dark grey sedan with tinted windows. Investigators believe it was a newer model Honda Civic or Nissan Altima. If you know information about this crime, suspect or any other crime in Westlake you are asked to call 440-871-3311 or email supervisors@westlakepolice.us. This case is being investigated by Det M. Lorig (mlorig@westlakepolice.us) under case #26-22238. You may remain anonymous.

Road Rage Altercation

On 10/9/26 at approx. 3:15PM, multiple callers reported a crash on I-90 W/B in the area of Clague Rd. The independent witnesses added that 2 men were outside the vehicles fighting. Supposedly one of the men threatened to “beat the F**K out of the other party.” Officers arrived to find that the involved parties had separated. Investigation revealed that 2 vehicles were driving recklessly before the collision and were apparently in a road rage altercation. While trying to pass each other, the 2 vehicles collided and also struck a third car. They all pulled over and the 2 drivers exited their vehicles. One of the drivers aggressively started to chase the other man by running after him down the berm of the highway. In speaking with the more aggressive driver, officers noted that he smelled of an alcoholic beverage and had urine stained pants. The 46yo Rocky River man appeared intoxicated and even tried to step into the lane of heavy traffic on the highway in an apparent attempt to stop the cars before being restrained by the officers. He declined to participate in field sobriety testing. When asked about the “fresh” urine on the front of his pants the suspect replied “Hey, listen dude, I wet myself on a daily basis!” He was transported to jail where he refused a breath test. No one reported any injuries from the crash. The reports note that the collision was the direct result of the road rage between the 2 drivers. The arrested driver was cited with reckless operation and OVI. His license was immediately suspended for refusing the breath test. The other driver involved in the road rage, a 25yo Avon man, was also cited with reckless operation.

Tweaking on Detroit Road

On 10/11/26 at about 3:30PM, a concerned citizen called WPD to report that a woman holding a department store advertising sign along Detroit Rd appeared to be having a hard time staying awake or was “tweaking.” Officers arrived to check on the woman’s welfare. The 43yo who listed a Mansfield address said that she was just tired. Officers noted that even while talking to law enforcement, she continually was nodding off. She was found to be wanted by Richland County SO. As she was being arrested for the warrant, she admitted to being in possession of methamphetamine as well as a snorting device. The powder was sent to the lab for testing and future charges. The suspect was transported to the Cuyahoga County Jail to await extradition to Richland County.

Gas Station Robbery

On 10/14/26 at approx. 3:30AM, WPD received a burglary alarm coming from the BP station on the corner of Bradley and Detroit Rds. Officers arrived to find that a pane of glass on the front of the convenience store had been broken out. No one was around upon arrival. Review of security cameras revealed that a man had approached the store at about 3:12AM. He used a paver stone to break out the glass to gain access to the interior. For about 3 minutes he stuffed cartons of cigarettes into a garbage bag before fleeing through the same hole in the window. The suspect was believed to be a white man wearing all black clothes, a black mask and white tennis shoes. A check of city traffic cameras and FLOCK license plate readers is being conducted to attempt to develop a suspect.

Toddler on the Loose

On 10/15/26 at about 8:15AM, a concerned caller reported seeing a young female in a diaper running in the roadway with no adult around her. Officers quickly responded to the area described which was Columbia Rd north of I90. Several motorists had stopped and corralled the little toddler to keep her from being involved in a possible tragedy. While caring for the almost 4 year old, officers responded to the nearby WestSpring Inn to try to find a responsible adult. They noticed a motel room with the door standing open and found 2 adults sleeping inside. The man and woman confirmed that they were the child’s parents. They had been staying at the motel for a couple of weeks. The child did not appear to be injured and was in good health.

Unresponsive Female

On 10/15/26 at about 11:50AM, WPD was called to the WestSpring Inn for an unresponsive female. An employee had knocked on the motel door to see if the guest checked out as expected but, after receiving no answer, found a woman not responding from the bed. Officers and paramedics arrived to discover that the woman was just a “deep sleeper.” The 36yo who listed a Cleveland address, was also wanted by 4 different local enforcement agencies including a felony warrant out of Cuyahoga County for a previous dangerous drugs charge. The woman was arrested and turned over to Bay Village officers to answer to their charges. Reports note that it appeared the woman had been using illicit drugs in the motel room.

Float Like a Butterfly

Congrats to the graduates of the Bay Village/Fairview Park PDs female self-defense class. This was a hands-on, empowering program designed for women of all ages. During this multi-day course, participants learned practical skills, increased awareness, built confidence and went through realistic training showing off their new skills versus their instructor in a “Red Man” suit.

Thank you to Bay Village Detective Kelly Rhoades (and all the other instructors) for their facilitation and training.

If you are interested in attending a future class, please email Det. Rhoades at krhoades@cityofbayvillage.gov and ask to be put on the waiting list.

Burned Their Dinner

On October 4, 2026 at 4:00 pm, Bay Village Police  and Fire responded to a report of smoke on the seventh floor of The Knickerbocker Apartments. Upon arrival, responders found heavy smoke in the hallway but no active fire. The smoke was determined to have originated from a resident who had accidentally burned their dinner.

Juvenile Delinquents

On October 4, 2026 at 6:00 pm, BVPD was contacted by Westlake PD for mutual aid regarding an incident that originated in Avon. Westlake PD advised that the involved vehicle had exited the highway and was traveling northbound on Columbia Road. Upon arrival, officers located the vehicle, which contained three juveniles, and conducted a stop. Officers learned that one of the juveniles had set off fireworks at the GetGo gas station in Avon. When the caller attempted to obtain the vehicle’s information, the juveniles became argumentative and threw items at the caller’s vehicle. One juvenile was transported home to a residence in Bay Village. The other involved parties were advised to their respective police jurisdictions regarding the incident.

No Camping in Park

On October 5, 2026 at 4:44pm, BVPD received a call regarding two suspicious persons at Reese Park. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the two individuals and advised them of the city’s regulations regarding camping in city parks. The individuals were then sent on their way without further incident.

Extortion

On October 5, 2026 at 7:50 pm, A resident and their juvenile arrived at BVPD to file a report regarding an online extortion incident. The juvenile had initiated a conversation on Instagram with an unknown individual they believed to be female. The two exchanged photographs, after which the individual threatened to share the juvenile’s photos with their Instagram friends unless money was sent via Apple payment services. The juvenile was counseled on social media safety. Police are investigating.

Gift Card Scam

On October 9, 2026 at 6:00 pm, A resident responded to BVPD to report being the victim of a scam involving gift cards. The resident reported losing several thousand dollars after sending gift cards to an unknown individual. BVPD is investigating the incident.

Mutual Aid

On October 9, 2026 at 9:51 pm, BVPD responded to a mutual aid request from MetroParks PD for assistance in locating a male subject reportedly throwing bags into the creek. BVPD officers assisted with the search but were unsuccessful in locating the individual.

Injured Male

On October 10, 2026 at 10:30 am, BVFD requested BVPD’s assistance with an injured male who had fallen on Canterbury Road. BVPD and BVFD responded and located the male, who reported he had been walking his dog when the dog pulled on the leash, causing him to lose his balance and fall. The male was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.

Unruly Senior

On October 12, 2026 at 8:55 am, BVPD responded to The Knickerbocker Apartments for a reported disturbance. Multiple residents reported a male causing a disturbance in a common area. The male was issued a citation for disorderly conduct. He will be facing charges through Rocky River Municipal Court.

Worried Clerk

On October 12, 2026 at 11:55 am, BVPD was flagged down by an employee at Speedway requesting increased police presence at the store. The employee advised that the Speedway location in Lakewood had recently been robbed at gunpoint and requested additional attention to their location.

Annoying Dog

On October 12, 2026 at 4:16 pm, BVPD received a complaint from a resident regarding a neighbor’s dog barking continuously for over 30 minutes. Officers responded and advised the dog’s owner of the complaint.

Medical Emergency

On October 12, 2026 at 5:56 pm, BVPD received a report of a silver Subaru swerving in and out of traffic. Officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. The driver appeared to be experiencing a medical emergency, and BVFD responded to assess his condition. The male was ultimately transported by a family member.

Speeding

On October 13, 2026 at 8:00 am, BVPD conducted a traffic stop near Wolf Road/Powell Road. The driver was issued a citation for speeding in a school zone. The male will face charges through the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

Decoy Camera

On October 13, 2026 at 11:57 am, BVPD received a call from a resident reporting a surveillance camera mounted on a utility pole near their residence. Officers responded and located the decoy camera. The resident advised that her husband had placed the fake camera on the pole in an effort to encourage dog walkers to clean up after their pets.

Assault

On October 13, 2026 at 3:39 pm, A male came to the BVPD station to report an assault that occurred at his place of employment in Bay Village. The incident is under investigation.

Bike in Safekeeping

On October 13, 2026 at 4:16 pm, BVPD received a report from a resident regarding a bicycle that had been chained to a parking sign for approximately two weeks. Officers responded to the area of Wolf Road and Douglas Road, located the bicycle, and removed it from the sign. The bicycle was transported to BVPD and placed into safekeeping.

Strange Behavior

On October 13, 2026 at 8:00 pm, A resident reported observing a female climb over a guardrail near Cahoon Road and W. Oviatt, followed by two males. The caller advised that all parties subsequently entered a residence on Cahoon Road. BVPD responded and spoke with the residents at the residence. The female was intoxicated and had a history of alcohol abuse. Family members were assisting her in returning home.

After Hours Pickleball

On October 13, 2026 at 11:30 pm, BVPD located several individuals playing pickleball at Reese Park after park hours. The individuals were advised of the park hours and left the area without further incident.

Ill in Patrol Vehicle

On October 15, 2026 at 12:20 pm, Westlake PD encountered a female with several active warrants through BVPD. BVPD confirmed the warrants and responded to the West Spring Inn to take custody of the female. While in BVPD custody, the female became ill in the patrol vehicle and at the BVPD station due to reported drug and alcohol withdrawal symptoms. She was medically furloughed and transported to a local hospital for treatment. She will be facing multiple open cases through Rocky River Municipal Court.

Extortion Photos

On October 18, 2026 at 3:51am, Bay Village Police responded to a Wolf Road address to take an Extortion Report. Police arrived and learned that a juvenile male had sent nude photos to a supposed female who was going to reciprocate. The male then began getting messages that he would have to send money or that his photos would be leaked. Bay Village Detectives are investigating.