Westlake -
On 8/31/18, in response to complaints received about underage alcohol purchases at the Convenient Store at Center Ridge and Porter Rds, officers watched as several young appearing persons entered the store and bought alcoholic beverages. In approx. 1 hour, four 16-17yos were stopped and charged with underage possession of alcohol bought at the targeted store. After this, officers entered the store and questioned the manager/owner. 2 store employees including the owner were charged with selling alcohol to minors. The store was shut down for the rest of the night.
On 8/31/18 at 11:14Pm, an officer stopped a vehicle for a speeding violation. The operator, a 57yo from Westlake, showed signs of impairment and fumbled his wallet onto the ground when asked to step out of the vehicle. He was field tested and arrested for OVI. This charge was a felony of the 3rd degree as the intoxicated driver had been convicted of 7 previous OVI’s between 1986 and 2010. The male submitted to a Breath test on station and tested over the legal limit.
On 9/3/18 at 4:09PM officers responded to a report from Pat Catan’s Store on Columbia Rd that a customer walked out without paying for a shopping cart full of items. The suspect(s) had left the area before officers arrived. Surveillance footage was reviewed and the suspects were described as 3 black females with a young child in tow. One of the females collected a basket full of 70 pieces of new jewelry.
When the manager passed by, the female placed the basket in a cart and perched the child on top in an attempt to conceal the merchandise. All of the females left together without paying. They placed the entire basket into a purple sports car and exited the lot. The store is still trying to copy the video footage but a still picture of one of the suspects is being provided. The Westlake Police Department requests that anyone who can identify her call the non-emergency line at 440-871-3311.
On 9/3/18 at 8:55AM an officer stopped a vehicle on I90 for traffic and equipment violations. Upon identifying the operator, it was learned that his license had been suspended. While inventorying the vehicle before the tow truck took it away, a loaded semi-automatic handgun was located inside.
The 23yo from Elyria was arrested and charged with felony carrying a concealed weapon along with driving under suspension.
On 9/4/18 an officer took a theft/scam report from a citizen. The resident had received an unsolicited message on Facebook asking if he wanted to purchase a truck. The complainant responded to the inquiry and started talking to the unidentified person. After awhile, our victim decided to purchase the truck. The perpetrator talked him into purchasing EBay gift cards, calling a provided phone number, and reading the gift card info to a male on the phone. When they asked for more money for shipping, the victim realized it was a scam and confirmed same with the legitimate EBay site. Calls to the provided phone number go unanswered. Follow-up is continuing.
On 9/5/18 at 9:53AM officers responded to a report of a 1 car MVA on Detroit just west of Clague Rd. The vehicle had struck a pole. The driver sustained non-life threatening injuries in the collision. The 35yo from Cleveland also showed signs of impairment. She was transported to the hospital for treatment and was charged with OVI and failure to control.
All photos courtesy of the Westlake Police Department
During the investigation drug paraphernalia was located including suspected methamphetamine pipes which also prompted misdemeanor drug paraphernalia charges.
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