On 6/29/18 at approx. 8pm WPD received a call from a private ambulance company reporting that one of their ambulance vans had been stolen from UH St. John Medical Center. There had been no patient in the van when taken. Luckily the ambulance had GPS tracking and Amherst and Oberlin Police Departments located the moving vehicle. Oberlin PD attempted to stop the ambulance and ended up arresting the driver after a pursuit. The 33yo from Cleveland was taken to the Lorain County Jail and the undamaged ambulance was returned to its rightful owner.
On 6/30/18 at about 6:40AM, a motorist reported that a female was riding her bicycle on I90 E/B in the area of Clague. An officer located the bicyclist as reported. The female refused to stop for the officer and ended up pedaling up the Detroit Rd exit ramp. She was finally stopped at the top of the ramp but was uncooperative with the officers who had to physically prevent her from biking into traffic. After a brief struggle, the female was arrested and later transported to the hospital for an evaluation. The 53yo from Lakewood was charged with resisting arrest, fail to comply, and prohibited use of a bicycle on a highway. Both the officer and the suspect received minor injuries.
On 7/1/18 at 12:11AM, a concerned motorist called in a possible OVI of a car that was weaving all over the roadway on I90 in the area of Crocker Rd. Apparently the caller also witnessed the suspect vehicle strike a curb and continue on. Officers caught up with the vehicle on I90 near Clague and observed the same erratic driving. In addition, the operator was driving on a flat tire and with an expired license plate. After stopping the operator, the officers asked her if she had hit anything. The 27yo from Beachwood said that she did not know but added that she had not struck anything “recently.” She was field tested and arrested for OVI. Later the female submitted to a breath test and was found to be .119 BAC. She was charged with weaving, OVI, BAC, and expired plates.
On 7/1/18 the Westlake Police Department deployed numerous officers and other resources to Crocker Park for security during the annual Liberty Fest Independence Day Event. Inexplicably, even with all the visible officers, marked cruisers and bike patrol in the area, there were 4 reported thefts/shopliftings at Crocker Park between 1:30P and 6:30P. In all, 3 people were arrested leaving Giant Eagle after shoplifting meat and dog food in 2 separate incidents. 1 of these, a 46yo male from Cleveland, already had a theft warrant from WPD. Another incident was a reported theft from an employee at Bar Louie. That investigation is still ongoing. The last involved a lost or stolen cell phone which was recovered by officers with no prosecution desired.
On 7/2/18 at 3:32PM a complainant reported that someone had stolen his credit card and then it fraudulently. A few days before, he had been shopping at a store at Crocker Park when he accidently left the card in a card reader at the check out. An unknown female is seen on surveillance video taking the card which was later used at another C. Park store. If anyone recognizes the female suspect in the attached surveillance photo please contact the Westlake Police Department on the non-emergency phone at 440-871-3311.
On 7/4/18 at approx. 6pm, after observing suspicious activity at the Super 8 Motel, an officer stopped a vehicle leaving the area for a traffic violation. While speaking with the driver, the alert officer noticed a semi-auto pistol magazine in plain view. When asked, the driver admitted to possession of a firearm as well as a switch blade knife. The 38yo from Fairview Park did not have a concealed carry permit. The male was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm and carrying a various prohibited weapon (switchblade).
(Photo courtesy Westlake Police)
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