On the afternoon of 2/28/23, an adult male came to WPD to report a sex offense. The complainant had been at the Westlake YMCA earlier in the day and entered the sauna. Another man was already inside. The victim soon noticed that the other male was exposing himself and masturbating. The victim reported being disturbed and quickly left the sauna for the shower area, where he saw the suspicious male again. In the few minutes the victim took to report the unnerving incident to the staff at the facility, the suspect had left. A Westlake officer took a report and followed up with the YMCA. Probable cause was developed to arrest a 51yo Lorain male charged with public indecency. The suspect had a prior arrest for Gross Sexual Imposition in Lorain County.
On 3/4/23 at about 12:45 AM, officers responded to the report of a vehicle into the ditch on I90 E/B at Clague. The caller did not believe that the female who had been driving was injured but suspected she was intoxicated. Investigation revealed that the driver lost control of the vehicle, leaving the roadway to the right, struck a ditch, and became stuck. The driver did appear intoxicated to the investigating officer, and the 35yo Euclid resident admitted to drinking but said it was “not much.” The female was field tested and arrested for OVI. She refused a breath test at the Westlake Jail. She was cited for failure to control OVI and refusing a chemical test after having OVI convictions in 2018 and 2011. Her license was placed under immediate suspension. The driver was later released to a sober ride.
On 3/4/23 at approx. 3:30 AM officers responded to the report of another vehicle off the roadway on I90. This time it was W/B in the area of Columbia Rd. Officers found a Buick in the mud by the off-ramp of Columbia Rd. The driver was unsteady on his feet and appeared intoxicated. The 23yo Westlake resident was field tested and arrested for OVI. He later tested 2x the legal limit by breath.
On 3/4/23 at about 3:45 AM, officers responded to the Westfield Apartments for a reported overdose. A 44yo male was found unresponsive, and WPD officers administered.
Four doses of Narcan in an attempt to revive him. The man survived and was transported to the hospital by Westlake Fire. Evidence of drug use was recovered, and witnesses were interviewed. The case is still under investigation.
On 3/5/23 at about 5:45 PM, officers were dispatched to the intersection of Crocker and Hospice Way for a reported traffic crash. Witnesses indicated that the occupants of the vehicles were outside the cars arguing. Officers mediated the situation and investigated the crash. The female driver of a vehicle had collided with another SUV on I90 after her vehicle had drifted off the roadway into the berm and reentered the roadway improperly. The driver of the struck vehicle had followed the at-fault vehicle for several minutes before they drove in front of the female’s vehicle to ensure she exchanged information. Officers noted that the at-fault female was incoherent about what happened. She was also found to have a warrant for her arrest for a prior trespass charge and seven open suspensions of her operator’s license. The 38yo Lorain female was field tested and arrested for OVI. She was cited with OVI, Driving Under Suspension, Refusing a Breath test (she had 2 prior OVI convictions in the past 10 years), and Failure to maintain assured clear distance.
ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT ARRESTED
On 3/6/23 at about 7 PM, WPD received a report of an armed robbery of the Bradley Beverage in Westlake. Officers responded but the suspect had already fled the area with an "undisclosed" amount of cash. No injuries were reported. Patrol Officers and Detectives investigated and developed a suspect. A felony warrant for Aggravated Robbery was obtained for the suspect's arrest. On 3/8 the 48yo Brunswick male was located and arrested without further incident (Within 40 hours of the crime). A subsequent search warrant resulted in the recovery of a gun along with other evidence tying the man to the incident. The suspect had past convictions for similar crimes involving weapons and drugs. He was also on Federal Parole for another robbery. The male was charged and arraigned in Rocky River Municipal Court and held on a $500,000 Cash or Surety Bond before being transferred to the Cuyahoga County Jail for the felony.
Good job to the efficient and thorough investigators who quickly brought this man into custody before he terrorized another business.
On 3/8/23 at about 9:20 AM, WPD received calls about a roll-over motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Detroit Rd and Settlers Reserve. Officers and Westlake Fire arrived to find a Honda SUV on its side. Both drivers were out of the two vehicles involved, and only minor injuries were reported. Investigation revealed that the Honda SUV pulled out from a stop sign and was struck by a westbound vehicle on Detroit. The driver of the Honda SUV was cited with failure to yield from a stop sign.