OnStar helps Bath police capture suspect
BATH — Bath Township Police intercepted the driver of a stolen car Sept. 13 as he made his way through the area, thanks to the car’s OnStar system.
According to Chief Mike McNeely, the owner of a 2006 Buick Lucerne went into a dry cleaning business in Fairview Park around 7:30 a.m. and left the keys in the car. A man then got in the car and drove off. The car was equipped with the OnStar global positioning system, and Fairview Park police contacted OnStar operators, which tracked the vehicle as it headed south into Bath. OnStar contacted Bath Police when the suspect was driving south on Cleveland-Massillon Road at Ira Road.
“We just sat at the intersection of Bath and Cleveland-Massillon and we caught him,” McNeely said. “We made the arrest with no use of force, and no one got hurt.”
McNeely added that it appeared the suspect struck a telephone pole at some point because of damage to the front of the vehicle, as shown above.
The suspect was identified as Leroy Gordon Jr., 37, of Akron, who was taken to the Summit County Jail and charged with possession of crack cocaine, DUI, driving under suspension and receiving stolen property. [See related police report on Page 34.]
“It worked out well,” said McNeely. “The OnStar is valuable, but the moral of the story is never leave your keys in your car. It only takes a second and off they go.”
— By Kathleen Folkerth
Photo: Ken Crisafi
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