7/26/2012 - West Side Leader
     

WEST AKRON: Burglaries were reported in the following locations: the 1100 block of Himelright Boulevard between July 9 and 12; the 900 block of Amelia Avenue July 15; the 200 block of Pembroke Road between July 16 and 17; the 400 block of Storer Avenue between July 16 and 17; the 700 block of Orlando Avenue between July 16 and 18; the 1000 block of Emma Avenue July 16; the 1500 block of Fairfax Road July 16; the 600 block of Madison Avenue July 16; the 1700 block of East Waterford Court July 16; the 100 block of Hall Street July 17; the 900 block of Peerless Avenue July 17; the 200 block of Winston Road July 17; the 1700 block of Dominion Drive between July 18 and 19; the 1100 block of Copley Road July 18; the 1000 block of Himelright Boulevard July 18; the 200 block of Edgerton Road between July 19 and 21; the 100 block of Avondale Drive July 19; the 1700 block of Dominion Drive July 19; the 300 block of Rampart Avenue July 19; the 900 block of Amelia Avenue July 20; the 1300 block of Dover Avenue July 20; the 2200 block of West Market Street July 21; the 900 block of Whittier Avenue July 21; and the 1700 block of Wiltshire Road July 21.

A 30-year-old Barberton man was charged July 16 with rape and kidnapping. He allegedly attacked and engaged in sexual conduct with the Morse Street victim.

Two Peerless Avenue residents, an 18-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man, were charged with assault for an incident that occurred July 18. The woman was also charged with robbery for taking the victim’s purse, which contained money and identification. The pair, along with another suspect, allegedly assaulted the victim during an altercation in which the victim was allegedly punched repeatedly.

Akron police detectives are investigating two separate robberies that occurred within two hours of each other and in the same general area July 18. The first robbery occurred shortly after 10 p.m. on Corson Avenue. According to reports, the victims, a 25-year-old male and a 26-year-old female, were out walking when three suspects approached them. One suspect pointed a gun at the victims and demanded the victims’ property. The victims emptied their pockets, and the suspects fled.

The second robbery occurred around midnight near the intersection of Crosby Street and Oakdale Avenue. The victims, 23-year-old and 25-year-old males, were out walking when they were approached. One victim reported he was punched in the face and the suspects demanded his money. According to reports, the suspects then reached into the second victim’s pants pocket and took his wallet. When no cash was found in the wallet, they reportedly threw the wallet back to the victim and fled. One victim was bleeding from his mouth, and the other victim had a minor bruise on the side of his face. One suspect was apprehended on Crosby Street, a 16-year-old Lakeshore Boulevard male. He was charged with robbery and placed in custody of the Summit County Detention Center. The other two suspects have not been identified or located. Detectives are following up to determine if the youth was involved in the earlier robbery.

Two 14-year-old males were arrested July 21 after they tried to break into the Firestone High School baseball concession stand, located on the 1500 block of Fairfax Road. The suspects attempted to force entry into an east side security window. Nothing was reported missing. The males were placed in the custody of the Summit County Juvenile Detention Center.

Officers are investigating a traffic fatality that occurred on the 800 block of Merriman Road July 22 around 9 p.m. The driver, Jeffrey Sampson, 45, of West Avenue in Tallmadge, was traveling southbound on Merriman Road when his motorcycle went off the right side of the roadway and struck a tree. Sampson was pronounced dead on scene. Sampson was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The accident remains under investigation.

A 41-year-old Yukon Avenue man was charged with domestic violence July 22. The victim and a witness stated the man twice punched the victim in the back of the head with a closed fist.

A 54-year-old Belvidere Way woman was charged with receiving stolen property and misuse of a credit card July 23. The victim allegedly dropped her credit card in the cafeteria at the Oriana House in Downtown Akron. The West Akron woman was found to be in possession of the card, and charges on the card totaled $700.

Detectives are investigating a shooting that occurred at the Embassy Lounge, located at 2200 Romig Road, on July 23 around 11:30 p.m. The suspected shooter, who was refused entry into the nightclub, fired several shots through the lounge windows, striking and killing Rahsaan Price, 38, of Avon Street. Price was pronounced dead on scene. Lamar Fitzgerald, 28, of East Thornton Street, was shot in the leg and Deanna May, 25, of Sumner Street, was shot in the buttocks. Fitzgerald and May were transported to Akron General Medical Center where their injuries did not appear to be life threatening.

BATH: Police responded to a vehicle crash on Ira Road around 6 a.m. July 7 when the driver of a vehicle lost control, struck a wooden fence and came to rest in a field, causing extensive damage to the vehicle. The driver declined medical attention, but he was bleeding from several lacerations and disoriented, and was transported via EMS to Akron General Medical Center where samples were taken for a toxicology screen. He was charged with DUI.

On July 12, police arrested a man on warrants for felony theft of iPhones from a Montrose store and took him to the Summit County Jail.

A Springwater Road man reported July 14 a man solicited him for tree work and left in a vehicle. The following day, police observed the vehicle on Idlebrook Drive and questioned two males, who admitted they were soliciting residents for work. Police explained the process of obtaining a permit for soliciting and arrested the driver for having expired license plates. Their trailer was towed from the scene.

Officers stopped a driver for lane violations on Cleveland-Massillon Road July 16 and noticed the odor of marijuana in the vehicle. A consent search of the vehicle revealed a bag of marijuana and a passenger was charged with its possession. The driver admitted possession of a bottle of rum and he was charged with underage drinking.

Police were called to a North Revere Road residence July 16 when an unknown man reportedly urinated in the backyard and sat in a chair on the front porch. When officers arrived, the suspect walked toward them and asked them to shoot him. He was transported via EMS to St. Thomas Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

On July 17, officers responded to a domestic disturbance at Top-O-Hill Drive, where a woman reported she went to the residence to claim her property and got involved in a verbal confrontation with a man. Both parties said there was no physical violence or threats and police stood by while the female removed her property.

An Arbory Hill Road resident reported July 18 two people were parked in a vehicle on a cul-de-sac. The two told police they were there to talk. A consent search of the vehicle revealed marijuana and a Visa card, which did not belong to either occupant. The driver was charged with possession of drugs, after he admitted ownership of the marijuana and police confiscated the credit card for an investigation.

A Springside Drive utility company requested additional patrol around the business July 18 while officials completed an internal investigation of an employee.

An Orchard Drive woman reported July 19 an unknown suspect attempted to open a credit account using the name and personal information of her late husband.

Police responded to a report of two suspicious males in a Medina Road gas station parking lot July 19 and arrested one male for underage drinking.

A woman reported July 19 her ex-husband was selling her property on his front lawn. When she went to the Cleveland-Massillon Road residence to photograph her property, he called police to report she was trespassing, and she left.

COPLEY: A Canton woman reported July 11 she dropped her credit card in the parking lot of a Montrose restaurant at 11:50 a.m. and realized it was missing 40 minutes later. When she called the creditor to report the card missing, she learned an unknown suspect used the card to make unauthorized purchases totaling $328.

Police investigated theft of scrap metal worth $50 from behind a shed on Columbus Avenue July 11.

Firefighters extinguished a fire that destroyed the engine compartment of a vehicle on Rothrock Road July 13 when police provided traffic control in the area.

On July 13, police investigated theft of three $80 power packs from a phone store on Medina Road.

Detectives are investigating theft of a $16,000 tractor and a $3,500 utility trailer from a construction site on Ridge Park Drive between July 13 and 16.

Officers went to a residence on Mull Avenue July 14, arrested a man on a warrant and released him to Summit County deputies.

An employee of a Montrose West Avenue hotel reported a domestic disturbance July 14 when an argument between a North Carolina mother and daughter escalated and both parties reported being assaulted. Officers were unable to determine a primary aggressor and no charges were filed. The juvenile was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital for evaluation.

Police responded to a report that a woman was staggering across Montrose West Avenue near Hollythorn Drive July 14 and located the woman, who was highly intoxicated and unable to stand. She was transported via EMS to Akron General Medical Center for evaluation.

On July 15, officers responded to a vehicle accident on Heritage Woods Drive where a woman reported she was traveling on the road when a driver approached from behind her, struck her vehicle on the back and side, and continued driving. A witness reported the suspect stopped his vehicle beside hers and asked to use her phone, saying something about a man with a gun. He threw the phone on the ground and went back to the scene of the accident, where police placed him in the rear of a cruiser, due to his disoriented state. The Copley man continued to hallucinate and he was transported to Akron General Medical Center, where it was determined he was not having a medical emergency, and he was under the influence of an intoxicant. He said he smoked marijuana earlier and stated it must have been laced with something, because he was “tripping.” He became combative and hospital workers placed him in restraints and obtained samples for a drug screen. Police charged him with DUI and tailgating. Additional charges were pending completion of an investigation.

A driver who crashed his car into a curb at a roundabout on Ridgewood Road July 15 told police an unknown motorist cut him off and caused him to crash. Officers believed his account of what happened was unlikely and he exhibited signs of intoxication. He failed a field sobriety test and the Uniontown man was charged with DUI.

A Castle Ridge Drive juvenile was arrested for probation violation and taken to a county juvenile detention center July 16 after the suspect left home for a week, defying a court order requiring house arrest.

A woman reported she was driving through the parking lot of a Medina Road restaurant July 16 when another driver struck the side of her vehicle. Officers observed the other driver, who was unsteady on her feet as she walked toward their vehicle. She failed a field sobriety test, and the Akron woman was charged with DUI and released with a summons.

On July 16, police responded to reports of an erratic driver on Interstate 77. The suspect reportedly exited the highway on the state Route 18 west exit and made an illegal turn to travel east, then pulled into a gas station, nearly striking the building. Police located him at the station, where he failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI. His vehicle was towed to an impound lot.

Akron police arrested a man who was wanted on warrants for drug possession and driving under suspension in Copley July 17. Police charged the man and took him to the Summit County Jail.

FAIRLAWN: Security agents at a mall department store reported a theft in progress July 13 when an Akron man selected an $80 perfume item and left the store without paying. He placed the item in his vehicle, then returned to the mall, where police stopped him. He admitted taking the item and he was charged with theft and banned from the store. A female companion was arrested on a warrant and released to Jackson Township police.

On July 13, police arrested an Akron man for shoplifting nine shirts, totaling $500, from a mall department store. He was charged with theft and criminal trespassing (he had been banned from the store following a prior incident) and taken to the Summit County Jail on a warrant. He was again advised he was banned from the store indefinitely.

Police investigated incidents at a Tamarisk Drive residence July 14 when a man reported someone placed pencils and Easter eggs on his lawn, poured soap on his front porch and left a golf bag containing a nine iron on his property, along with a flyer stating he won a prize in a lottery. Officers confiscated the golf equipment and letter as evidence.

Officers patrolling Miller Road July 14 stopped a driver and arrested her for driving under suspension. Police determined a friend, who came to pick up the suspect, was also driving under suspension. A tow inventory of her vehicle revealed criminal tools, including a booster bag, lined with aluminum foil and duct tape, and clothing items that were stolen from two mall stores. Police recovered 11 bras with price tags and sensors attached and three other clothing items also bearing sensor tags. The managers of the two stores identified their merchandise, which totaled $842. Police had both vehicles towed to an impound lot and additional charges against the second female were pending completion of an investigation.

An employee of a mall kiosk reported a woman stole perfume from a display at a lingerie store July 14 and left the store, activating an alarm. Store employees followed the suspect through the mall and into a food court before losing sight of her. Police located the Akron woman in the parking lot, arrested her for theft and advised her she was banned from the mall. The merchandise was returned to the store.

On July 18, an Akron man was arrested for theft of an item from a mall specialty store and banned from the store indefinitely.

The manager of a mall clothing store reported July 18 an employee stole more than $900 from the cash register over a period of three weeks and gave clothing to his friends without ringing the merchandise on the register, causing an additional loss to the business of $319. The man’s employment was terminated and he was banned from the store. Police learned he paid back $600 of the money. Charges are pending completion of an investigation.

NORTON: Officers and the Summit County Drug Task Force responded to a wooded area on 21st Street July 13 when a citizen reported finding items used to manufacture methamphetamine. Area residents were advised there would be law enforcement officers in the area and the woods, gathering evidence and cleaning up the area.

Police responded to a report of possible burglary at a Wadsworth Road residence July 13 when they arrested a female resident for drug abuse and possession of methamphetamine.

A Rockcut Road man reported July 14 he was mowing his lawn when he found two marijuana plants, surrounded by a small fence in a remote part of his property. Police confiscated the plants.

On July 15, police agreed to provide additional patrol around a Cherrywood Drive residence after the homeowner reported the property had been vandalized five times recently.

A Fairoaks Drive resident reported a male acquaintance came to her residence at 6 a.m. July 15 and she allowed him to stay. She left a few hours later, and her daughter called her to say the male was gone and the family’s $5,000 flat-screen TV was missing. Police are investigating.

Officers from the county adult probation division conducted a check of a woman at her Norton Avenue residence July 16, and found the woman and four others in possession of syringes. Several syringes were also found on the floor. Norton officers responded to assist with the investigation, and they arrested the resident for possession of drug paraphernalia and probation violation and took her to the Summit County Jail.

A Tapper Road woman reported July 17 she had a fight with her husband and went to sleep on the couch. The male locked himself in the bedroom and she woke to hear a gunshot. She and her children called police and broke down the door, and the male threatened them and told them to get out. Officers arrived to find the male in the bedroom. He told officers he was handling the firearm and it went off. He was arrested for domestic violence and discharging a firearm and taken to the Summit County Jail.

Officers investigated a report of two suspicious males in the parking lot of a bank on Cleveland-Massillon Road July 17 and arrested one Barberton man for possession of drug paraphernalia.

On July 18, police patrolling Wooster Road stopped a driver for speeding and lane violations. The Norton man was charged with driving without a license when police determined his license expired more than three years ago. A passenger, who continually yelled and cursed at police during the processing of the driver, refused to cease yelling profanity, and the Orrville man was charged with disorderly conduct by intoxication and possession of marijuana that was found during his arrest.

Police were called to a Cleveland-Massillon Road gas station July 19 where they arrested a Norton man, who had been banned from the business and was attempting to steal beer. He was charged with criminal trespassing and disorderly conduct by intoxication and released with a summons. The following day, the man, along with another man, was at a residence on Columbia Avenue making threats against residents. He was again charged with criminal trespassing. Several hours later, the man was suspected of stealing a liter of whiskey from a bowling alley, and police located him when they responded to a report of an unwanted person at a Manilla Road residence. He admitted taking the whiskey and he was charged with theft and taken to the Barberton Jail.

A clerk at a Wadsworth Road gas station reported July 20 a motorist pumped gasoline worth $41.40 into a vehicle and left without paying.

RICHFIELD: On July 9, police investigated a report filed by a Deer Path Trail man who said he sold a $3,000 pickup truck to a man, who agreed to pay him $1,000 per month for three months. He failed to make the scheduled payments and gave the victim a check for $500, which was returned for insufficient funds. The victim also asked police to advise the suspect not to return to his residence. The suspect agreed he would not return.

A Deer Creek Trail man reported July 10 his step-son is not permitted on his property and he believes he entered his residence and took personal checks. Officers are investigating the report of trespassing and theft. Police contacted the man and left a message advising him that he would be arrested if he returns to the property.

A Galloway Drive man reported July 11 he received a threatening phone message from an unknown female, who stated he had ruined her life and that he should be shot in the head. Police are investigating.

On July 13, police recovered a vehicle that was stolen from a University of Akron parking lot. The owner was informed the vehicle was at a lot in Medina and he was advised of items found inside the vehicle, which had been driven more than 400 miles. The victim stated the items found in the vehicle were not his. The steering column on the vehicle had been peeled and the door lock had been punched.

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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