7/12/2012 - West Side Leader
     

WEST AKRON: Burglaries were reported at the following locations: the 700 block of West Exchange Street between May 5 and June 30; the 1700 block of Wakefield Drive between May 30 and July 8; the 200 block of Lownsdale Avenue June 11; the 100 block of South Rhodes Avenue between June 23 and July 4; the 500 block of Castle Boulevard between June 27 and July 4; the 100 block of Oakdale Avenue June 29; the 1100 block of Greenwood Avenue between June 29 and 30; the 1300 block of Nome Avenue between July 1 and 2; the 1400 block of Garman Road between July 1 and 3; the 100 block of Clemmer Avenue July 2; the 1200 block of Hardesty Boulevard July 3; the 300 block of Kenilworth Drive July 3; the 900 block of Peckham Street July 3; the 1000 block of Amelia Avenue July 4; the 1100 block of Seward Avenue July 6; the 700 block of Copley Road between July 6 and 8; and the 100 block of North Balch Street July 7.

A 25-year-old Endicott Drive man and a 32-year-old Lane-Wooster neighborhood man were charged with burglarizing a residence in the 800 block of Bellevue Avenue in the Lane-Wooster neighborhood June 29. Officers reportedly found the men inside the home.

On June 30, a 42-year-old South Walnut Street man was charged with burglary and domestic violence. The man allegedly entered the victim’s East Akron Lovers Lane residence without permission and did physical damage. The man also punched and choked the victim, according to police reports. The victim sustained visible injuries to the left side of the neck, noted officers.

Two West Akron men and a juvenile male were charged with crimes that took place during the early morning hours of July 3. A 19-year-old Dover Avenue man and an 18-year-old Glendora Avenue man were charged with obstructing official business and booked into the Summit County Jail, while a 15-year-old East Akron male was charged with obstructing official business and curfew and placed in the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center. According to officers, additional charges are expected. The victims are two females and a male who reported that they were walking to their car parked in a parking lot at North Howard and Ridge streets in the Elizabeth Park Valley neighborhood when they were confronted by three males armed with handguns. According to police reports, the victims were robbed of their belongings and car keys, and the males then sped off in a 2001 Mazda 626 owned by one of the victims. Responding officers observed the Mazda 626 driving recklessly on Evans Avenue. As officers tried to catch up to the vehicle, the three male occupants abandoned the car in the 800 block of Blanding Avenue. The vehicle then rolled into a 2006 Subaru Tribeca parked in a driveway. Officers recovered the victims’ belongings inside the car. While officers were checking the area for the suspects, officers observed a 1999 Ford Expedition that had just collided with a parked car in the 900 block of Blanding Avenue. The three suspects were seen exiting the vehicle. After brief foot chases, all three were apprehended.

A 28-year-old Hemlock Hills Drive man was charged with domestic violence July 3 for an incident that occurred at his residence. Officers noted the man has a prior conviction for domestic violence from December 2004, which elevates the offense to a felony.

Officers charged a 21-year-old Jefferson Avenue man with carrying a concealed weapon July 6. The man was apprehended by officers in the 1500 block of South Hawkins Avenue.

A 22-year-old Storer Avenue man was charged with carrying a concealed weapon July 6. Officers were flagged down in response to a theft that took place at a South Main Street bar in Downtown Akron. The man was stopped nearby because he matched the description of the suspect. The man admitted to officers he was carrying a gun, which was found in his pocket.

Shortly after midnight July 8, officers responded to a call regarding a stabbing in the 400 block of Noah Avenue. The caller reported several females were fighting in front of a house. Allegedly during the fight, one female broke a bottle and used it to stab another female several times on the arms and back. The victim, a 16-year-old female, was taken to Akron City Hospital, where her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening. A 20-year-old Goodyear Heights woman was charged with felonious assault and booked into the Summit County Jail.

Detectives are investigating a stabbing that occurred outside The Embassy Lounge Bar and Grille, located at 2200 Romig Road, July 8 around 4:30 a.m. The victims, a 28-year-old Firestone Park man and a 22-year-old North Canton woman, reported they were stabbed during a large fight outside the front door of the nightclub. The victims were able to drive themselves to Akron General Medical Center for treatment. The suspect was described as a black male, 18 to 28 years old, 5-feet, 7-inches to 5-feet, 9-inches tall, between 130 and 200 pounds and wearing a black T-shirt and black shorts. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Akron Police Department at 330-375-2552.

BATH: Officers patrolling Medina Road June 26 stopped the driver of a pickup truck and noticed signs of impairment. He failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI. His BAC tested .118.

On June 26, police responded to a report of an erratic driver on North Cleveland-Massillon and Shade roads. Officers located the suspect and stopped him for speeding and lane violations. He failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI. His BAC tested .276.

A cab driver reported June 27 he drove a customer to a Montrose hotel, and the person was unable to pay the $24 fare. He went to his room and returned with $15 and a bag of marijuana, which he tried to use to pay the driver. Police charged the man with drug abuse, released him with a court summons and confiscated the marijuana. The suspect came up with another $5 of the remaining $9 he owed the driver.

An Ira Road woman reported June 28 that her daughter advertised two chairs for sale on a website and received a response from a buyer, who said he sent a payment for the chairs and it was for more than the asking price. He told the seller to cash the check and wire him the remainder of the money. The seller did not wire the money, and police are investigating the attempted scam.

Police reviewed video surveillance footage outside a Springside Drive business July 2, when an employee reported the side window of his vehicle was shattered while he worked.

On July 3, officers stopped the driver of a vehicle with a flat tire and damaged fender. She was arrested for driving under suspension and released to the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department on a warrant.

Following a registration check of a vehicle on Medina Road July 4, police stopped the driver of a vehicle with a license plate that was registered to another vehicle. Police determined the validation sticker on the license plate had been reported stolen from a different vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, who was not the owner, was charged with driving under a license suspension and driving a vehicle with registration violations. The vehicle was towed.

Police responded to a July 5 report that a man was soliciting people in a Montrose shopping plaza. He told police he was asking them for directions. Officers determined he was wanted on warrants from the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, arrested him for a probation violation and took him to the Summit County Jail.

On July 6, officers patrolling Interstate 77 observed a male attempting to stop drivers to get a ride. He allegedly lied to police regarding his identification, and officers determined he was wanted on a warrant in Akron. He was arrested for obstructing official business and released on the warrant.

The driver of a vehicle with illegally tinted windows was stopped on Ira Road July 6 and arrested for drug abuse after officers noticed a smell of burnt marijuana in the vehicle, and the driver surrendered a bag of marijuana to police.

Police responded to a traffic crash on Ira Road July 7, when a driver said he lost control of his vehicle, crashed through a wooden fence and landed in a field. He reportedly admitted he had been drinking and exhibited signs of intoxication. He was charged with DUI and transported to Akron General Medical Center for treatment of injuries sustained in the crash. Additional charges were pending the outcome of a toxicology test.

COPLEY: Police investigated the theft of a motor vehicle from a Montrose parking lot June 22, when an employee of a business reported he parked the vehicle at 4 p.m. and returned at 8 to find it missing. Information about the car was entered into a database for stolen vehicles.

A Jacoby Road resident reported June 22 he believes the front door to his residence was opened during the early hours of that day.

The owner of a Copley Road automotive business reported June 22 that items and supplies were stolen from behind the business. He told police he has had two groups of workers clearing brush around the business recently and contacted area scrap dealers to provide a description of the stolen items.

Officers responded to a fight between a man and woman at a South Cleveland-Massillon Road winery June 24. The woman said her boyfriend pounded her head with his fists during an argument and left in another person’s vehicle. Norton police stopped the suspect, escorted him back to the winery and questioned him, but he denied assaulting the victim, who declined medical attention and refused prosecution. Police charged both parties with disorderly conduct and released each with a court summons.

A Brookmont Drive woman reported June 24 that she received a call from someone who said he was her grandson and stated he had been arrested in Canada and was only permitted to make one call. He asked her to wire $985 to an attorney and instructed her not to tell anyone. The victim went to a business and used her credit card to send the money. She later realized it was a scam and attempted to cancel the transaction with the credit card company. It was uncertain whether the transaction was canceled before the suspect received the money. Police were investigating.

An employee of a Flight Memorial Drive restaurant reported June 25 that she bought a woman breakfast and let her use her phone. When the employee left momentarily, the woman left with the phone. Police assisted the victim in using her GPS locator to track the phone to an Akron location. Summit County deputies assisted in retrieving the phone, and the victim declined prosecution. The suspect was wanted by Akron police on theft warrants.

A neighbor of a Lawnshire Drive residence reported June 28 that a man in a blue, two-toned pickup truck stripped all the metal from the residence, which has been vacant for an extended period of time. Police were seeking the owner of the residence to determine whether anyone had been given permission to take the metal.

Security agents at a Montrose home improvement store reported a man switched price tags and attempted to purchase copper pipes worth $98 for $50 June 29. The transaction was declined, and the suspect did not leave with any merchandise. He was advised not to return to the store. The store manager told police he received notice that the suspect committed similar crimes at other stores in the chain.

FAIRLAWN: A woman reported June 27 she left her wallet on the sales counter at a Montrose discount store and someone used two credit cards belonging to her mother and sister to make unauthorized purchases.

Employees of a mall specialty store reported June 29 that a man removed a novelty item from a box, concealed the merchandise and left without paying for it. He returned to the store, removed a second item from the box and concealed it. Employees stopped him as he left the store, and police charged him with theft of both items, which were returned to the store. He was released with a court summons.

Police responded to a domestic disturbance at a Spyglass Drive residence June 30, when a woman reported her husband grabbed her by the throat, kicked her in the back and threatened to kill her. The victim was transported to Akron General Medical Center, and the man was arrested for domestic violence and taken to the Summit County Jail.

A Lenox Village Drive man was arrested for domestic violence June 30 after police responded to a disturbance at his residence and heard him arguing with his live-in girlfriend. The female had visible injuries, and the male admitted he and the female have a history of violent behavior.

On July 1, an Akron woman was arrested for shoplifting $55 in steaks from a West Market Street grocery store. She was charged with theft, banned from the store and released with a court summons.

A customer at a Montrose discount store reported he left his car unlocked in the parking lot with the keys inside and went into the store July 1. He returned to find the vehicle had been stolen. Police reviewed video surveillance footage from outside the store and saw three females peering into the car and one female get into the vehicle and drive it away. The suspect had returned an item in the store and used her driver’s license as identification. Officers matched her photo with the female shown taking the vehicle and notified the Akron Police Department of her address. The following day, Akron police located the vehicle, which had been abandoned with the engine running on Bellevue Avenue. A loaded gun, which had been in the glove compartment, was missing. Police were seeking the suspect.

Police investigated a July 2 report that two men loaded five compacted, compressed cardboard bales from the rear loading dock at a West Market Street grocery store into a silver Dodge Caravan and stole them. A witness making a delivery at a nearby store provided a description of the men and vehicle. The following day, officers investigated a similar report at another West Market Street grocery store, where a witness said a man who drove a light gray Dodge Caravan stole another cardboard bale.

An Akron man was arrested for theft of clothing worth $50 from a mall department store July 2, released with a court summons and banned from the store indefinitely.

NORTON: On June 29, police responded to a vehicle accident on Johnson Road. The driver allegedly admitted he injected heroin just before the crash, and police recovered a syringe, spoon and other items from the vehicle. The suspect was transported to Akron General Medical Center and charged with DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A Ravenna man arrested for shoplifting items from a Greenwich Road grocery store June 29 was additionally charged with criminal trespassing when police determined he had been banned from the store due to a previous incident.

Police investigated the aggravated robbery of a Wadsworth Road café owner and an employee June 30. The two were walking to their cars around 1 a.m., and two males approached them. One man dragged the female into a wooded area and held her there while the other man placed a gun to the owner’s head and forced him to go back inside the business and get money. When they received the money, the suspects fled on foot after throwing the female’s cell phone into the woods.

Also on June 30, officers were seeking someone who threw a $1,000 portable toilet, construction barrel and stop sign over a bridge on the Dorothy Road overpass. The items landed on train tracks below the bridge. Police notified contractors working in the area of the property destruction.

A South Cleveland-Massillon Road man reported someone punctured two tires on his vehicle, which was parked outside his home June 30.

An employee of a South Cleveland-Massillon Road automotive business reported July 2 that someone smashed the glass in the front door of an office.

A Wadsworth Road man reported July 2 that he found a bag containing suspicious items lying in the roadway. Officers determined the items were components of a methamphetamine lab, and a county task force responded to take possession of the items and clean up hazardous substances at the scene.

A real estate agent reported her company purchased a Hametown Road residence following a foreclosure July 1, and she discovered a stove, two refrigerators and a hot water tank had been removed from the residence. A witness provided a description of someone who took the items from the home.

A Wadsworth Road woman reported July 3 that her live-in boyfriend came home intoxicated, threw her across the kitchen and against a stove. Police observed visible injuries on the victim’s arm and arrested the male for domestic violence after the victim declined to sign charges.

Police were called to a domestic disturbance at a Wadsworth Road residence where a woman reported her live-in boyfriend struck her in the face during an argument July 4. He was arrested for domestic violence and taken to the Summit County Jail.

A man reported July 5 that a Norton woman confronted him at a Greenwich Road store, asked him for money he owed her, then grabbed his wallet and took two money orders totaling $168. Police went to her home, and she admitted taking the money orders. Officers returned them to the victim and charged her with theft.

RICHFIELD: Officers recovered a construction trailer abandoned along Interstate 77 June 24 and investigated the possibility it had been stolen.

Police investigated a June 26 report filed by a woman who said a boat she had been storing at a Broadview Road location had been stolen. Officers determined the identity of a man who left her a note stating he hoped the boat was for sale and interviewed the man, who said he purchased the boat for $300. When police advised him he was in possession of stolen property and he could be charged if he did not return it, he said he sold the boat. He was told to return the boat by July 2 or he would be arrested.

On June 29, officers patrolling I-77 observed a vehicle swerving across lane lines and stopped the driver. Police noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, and the driver surrendered a marijuana cigar and a bag of marijuana and admitted ownership. The Akron man was charged with its possession and released with a court summons.

The Akron police reports were compiled by Ariel Hakim, and the remainder were compiled by Maggie DeMellier.

Editor’s note: The police reports provided here are a sampling of those filed with each community’s police departments. For questions related to the reports we’ve included or others we have not, call the West Side Leader at 330-665-9595. To provide information on an alleged criminal act noted in this week’s report, call the local police department.

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