9/6/2012 - West Side Leader
     

WEST AKRON: Burglaries were reported in the following locations: the 1000 block of Karen Drive between Aug. 4 and 26; the 1600 block of Dominion Drive between Aug. 23 and 25; the 100 block of North Meadowcroft Drive between Aug. 24 and 25; the 300 block of Mineola Avenue between Aug. 25 and 26; the 100 block of Kenwood Avenue Aug. 26; the 600 block of Madison Avenue Aug. 27 and 28; the 700 block of West Exchange Street between Aug. 28 and 30; and the 700 block of Seward Avenue Aug. 28.

A 22-year-old Diagonal Avenue man who was charged with misrepresenting identity and open container Aug. 29 at Copley Road and Noble Avenue also was charged with two recent burglaries, according to Akron police officers. On July 31, the man allegedly broke into a residence in the 800 block of Peerless Avenue. According to police reports, fingerprints were lifted from the scene matching the man’s. The suspect also allegedly broke into an apartment on Hancock Avenue in Kenmore Aug. 10 while the victim was inside. During that incident, the man reportedly threw items around the apartment, and the victim ran from the scene.

A 22-year-old Nome Avenue man was charged with receiving a stolen automobile Aug. 30. According to Akron police officers, he was stopped by officers at Elmdale and Hawkins avenues driving the vehicle.

On Sept. 2, a 24-year-old Wildwood Avenue man was charged with domestic violence and domestic violence menacing. Officers noted the man has two prior convictions for domestic violence, one from June 2009 and one from July 2010.

BATH: Officers from Copley and Fairlawn assisted police in serving a felony warrant for cultivation of marijuana to a Fairway Drive man Aug. 23. He complained of chest pain, and the Bath Fire Department EMS transported him to a hospital, where he was evaluated and released to Summit County sheriff’s deputies on the warrant.

An area resident reported finding cash outside a Montrose business Aug. 23 and gave it to police, who are holding it until it is claimed.

A woman reported Aug. 23 she parked her vehicle outside a North Cleveland-Massillon Road restaurant and left for the day with some friends. That evening, the Ohio State Highway Patrol contacted her to tell her they recovered her vehicle from another location. She was unable to locate the vehicle’s keys in her possession or in the vehicle when she retrieved it from the impound lot.

Employees of a Montrose clothing store reported Aug. 24 that two women whom they suspected of shoplifting left the store and got into a vehicle. Police stopped the vehicle, and the driver and passenger reportedly admitted taking items from the store. A consent search of the vehicle revealed clothing items that they allegedly stole from the two stores. Also in the vehicle were clippers, reportedly used for cutting security tags from items, and two booster bags, used for shoplifting. The women were charged with theft, receiving stolen property and possession of criminal tools.

On Aug. 24, police found a pocketknife with the blade open in the restroom of an Interstate 77 rest area. It was placed in an evidence room.

Police responded to reports of an erratic driver Aug. 25 and observed him driving out of a Medina Road restaurant. The driver crossed lane lines several times and was stopped on North Cleveland-Massillon Road. He failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI. His BAC tested .139.

A Medina Line Road man reported Aug. 25 he and his wife were out of town and their daughter was staying with a friend in Copley. He said he took the license plate from his vehicle in the driveway, because his daughter had been told she could not use it. A neighbor advised him the car was gone from the driveway, and police located it outside the Copley residence where his daughter was staying. Officers towed it at the owner’s request, and he said he would pursue charges when he returned.

A woman reported Aug. 26 she parked her vehicle in a marked space outside a North Cleveland-Massillon Road home improvement store and a shopping cart rolled down a hill and struck the side of it while she was in the store.

Employees of a Medina Road gas station reported Aug. 27 an unknown male concealed 16 cans of Red Bull beverages and sped away in a vehicle. Police traced the license plate number and determined the vehicle had been reported stolen from Akron. Officers were unable to locate the suspect.

COPLEY: Police responded to a dispute involving neighbors on Scenic View Drive Aug. 19. One man reported the other man’s dog left waste in his yard, put the waste in a bag and gave it to the dog owner. The dog owner handed back the waste, and a shoving match ensued between the two men. The parties declined charges, and police advised them to have no contact with each other.

A Moreview Road couple reported their neighbor’s dog barks at and chases pedestrians, and Aug. 20 the dog reportedly entered their yard and bit their dog while it was on a leash. They declined charges and asked that the dog owner be advised of leash laws. The dog owners said they have an electric fence that does not deter the dog and that they would monitor their dog more closely.

On Aug. 21, officers responded to reports that a group of juveniles walking on Ridgecrest Drive toward Hametown Road were causing property damage at some of the residences along the way. Police observed several items in one yard had been disturbed and the mailbox was on the porch of the residence. They were unable to locate the juveniles and could not find property damage at any of the other residences.

The manager of a Montrose West Avenue hotel reported Aug. 22 an Ontario man drove a rented truck 11 feet high under an awning whose clearance was marked at 9.5 feet. The truck smashed the awning, leaving behind pieces on the truck and a vehicle it was hauling.

A man driving on Copley Road Aug. 26 failed to negotiate a turn on Schoolcraft Road and crashed into a stop sign. He left the scene, walked to his home and refused to provide information to officers about the crash. He reportedly admitted he was driving the vehicle and that he abandoned it after the crash.

FAIRLAWN: Security agents at a Montrose discount store reported a woman filled a cart with merchandise totaling more than $700 and left without paying Aug. 25. When employees confronted her in the parking lot, she abandoned the cart and walked away. Police located her walking on West Market Street, arrested her for theft and released her with a court summons.

On Aug. 27, an Akron man who had been banned from a mall department store for life following a shoplifting incident Aug. 5 allegedly again stole items from the store and left without paying. He was arrested for theft and criminal trespassing and again advised he is banned from the store for life. The $407 in merchandise was recovered and returned to the store.

Officers charged an Akron woman with theft and advised her she is banned indefinitely from a mall department store Aug. 27 after the woman allegedly concealed jeans and left the store without paying. The merchandise was recovered and returned to the store.

An Akron woman who stole items from a mall department store and attempted to flee in a vehicle Aug. 27 was stopped. She admitted taking the items, which she surrendered to police. She was charged with theft, released with a court summons and banned from the store for three years.

Police arrested an Akron man for theft Aug. 28 after security agents at a mall department store reported he concealed jeans in a shopping bag and left without paying. He was escorted back to the store, where employees identified him, and the jeans were retrieved from the bag. He was released with a court summons and advised he is banned from the store for life.

On Aug. 28, security agents at a mall department store reported a woman stole clothing from the store, exited and entered a vehicle in the parking lot. She was escorted back to the store, identified and the clothing was retrieved. The Akron woman was charged with theft, banned from the store indefinitely and released to the Barberton Police Department on a warrant for driving under suspension.

A Hampshire Road resident reported her vehicle was ransacked while it was parked outside her residence the night of Aug. 30 and a GPS unit was stolen.

A Sand Run Parkway woman reported Aug. 30 unknown persons caused $200 damage to a wooden fence behind her home.

A mall security officer reported Aug. 31 that three females suspected of shoplifting from a clothing store were stopped while leaving the mall. One suspect left before police arrived and another was uncooperative with security officers. She was advised she is banned from the mall and the store. Police determined the Akron woman had been banned from the mall in July and arrested her for criminal trespassing.

Security agents at a West Market Street discount department store reported Sept. 1 they observed a woman conceal items in her purse and leave the store without paying. The Akron woman was arrested for theft, released with a court summons and advised she is indefinitely banned from the store. The $140 in merchandise was returned to the store.

The manager of a West Market Street specialty store reported Sept. 1 an unknown female pulled a quick-change scam on a cashier, stealing $20 from the store.

NORTON: An Akron man who was released from the Summit County Jail Aug. 24  was arrested on a Norton Police Department warrant for a liquor control violation and released on bond.

A Wadsworth Road man reported Aug. 24 his ex-wife failed to bring his children to his residence for visitation at the scheduled time, and he wanted the incident documented.

Detectives are investigating the theft of a Buick LeSabre from the parking lot of a Columbia Woods Drive apartment complex Aug. 25.

The manager of a specialty store in a Greenwich Road plaza reported Aug. 26 a man took a box of tarts and left without paying for them. When she confronted him outside the store, the suspect began eating the tarts. She declined charges but asked that the Barberton man be advised he is banned from the store indefinitely.

Officers patrolling Interstate 76 Aug. 26 stopped an Akron man for driving across lane lines. He failed a field sobriety test and was charged with DUI. His BAC tested .151.

On Aug. 27, police attempted to locate the owner of a cell phone, driver’s license and other property found at the scene of an accident in July, when the person was transported to a hospital. Officers had placed her belongings in a property room for safekeeping.

A Barberton man reported he was driving south on state Route 21 the afternoon of Aug. 27 and another driver was tailgating him. He pulled into another lane to allow the man to pass him, but he continued tailgating and followed him to I-76, continued following as he exited on South Cleveland-Massillon Road and followed him to a drugstore, where the victim pulled into a drive-through line and the suspect pulled in behind him and exited his vehicle and began pounding on his car and yelling at him. The victim exited his vehicle, and the suspect allegedly assaulted him, punching him several times and placing him in a headlock. The victim bit the suspect, who reportedly attempted to gouge out the victim’s eye. Another motorist attempted to assist the victim, who left before police arrived and drove to a hospital for treatment of his injuries. Police interviewed the victim and several witnesses and contacted the suspect, who said the victim was the primary aggressor and the one who had been driving aggressively. The victim said he was not that badly injured and declined charges.

PENINSULA: On July 1, two police officers were dispatched to Everett Road in the covered bridge area in reference to fireworks being set off. The officers met with a man on scene who had been lighting fireworks with his family in a field south of the parking lot. The man was advised to pick up any trash they created and to leave the park property. The man complied.

An officer responded to a burning vehicle call on Interstate 271 near the Cuyahoga River Bridge July 5. The officer located the vehicle and its owner. The man said he pulled over when he heard noises and found his vehicle to be on fire. Valley Fire District extinguished the fire and the vehicle was towed.

On July 11, a Peninsula police officer received a phone call from a fellow Peninsula police officer who said he had been driving to work when his vehicle was struck by an object thrown from another vehicle while on Main Street. A Cuyahoga Falls Police officer located and stopped a vehicle at Chart and State roads that matched the description and registration given by the reporting officer. Two Peninsula police officers drove to that location, and the passenger sitting in the right rear position of the car was cited for littering from a motor vehicle and criminal mischief. The driver was cited for allowing littering from a motor vehicle.

A Peninsula police officer was dispatched to the area of I-271 South and state Route 303 July 14 in reference to a welfare check for a motorist parked on the shoulder of the on-ramp. The officer made contact with the motorist, who said he had pulled over because he was experiencing a migraine headache and was “just resting.” The man refused EMS aid and said he was OK to drive home.

On July 15, a Peninsula police officer was sent to Akron-Peninsula Road regarding goats that had gotten loose and were on the road. A Boston Heights police officer already had arrived on scene after being flagged down by a driver. The Boston Heights officer was able to corral the goats and secure them in a fenced-in area. The Peninsula police officer checked on the goats and noticed the goats and a cow seemed to be suffering from malnutrition. The officer advised Richfield dispatch to contact the animal warden or the Humane Society of Greater Akron. Dispatch was advised it is the responsibility of the Humane Society to deal with this type of situation. Dispatch called the Humane Society but received a message that stated the organization’s business hours.

RICHFIELD: A Creche Drive man reported Aug. 19 a $300 leaf blower was stolen from his garage.

On Aug. 20, a man staying with his parents at a Brecksville Road residence reported his former girlfriend has been harassing him and sending him text messages threatening to “send him to jail.” He asked that the messages be documented so she could not get him into trouble. 

A woman reported she was driving through a construction zone on Interstate 77 Aug. 21 when the driver of a tractor-trailer deliberately struck the back of her vehicle with the truck, blew his horn and struck the vehicle two more times. Police and Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers stopped the driver on Interstate 71. He denied striking the vehicle. Because the truck had no damage and the woman’s van did not have any visible damage, no charges were filed.

A Mill Street woman reported Aug. 21 her adult son went to her residence and took her vehicle without permission. When he failed to return the vehicle, police signed charges for unauthorized use of a vehicle. He returned in the vehicle Aug. 23 and was arrested and booked into the Richfield Jail.

Police are seeking the driver of an ATV on charges of felony vandalism Aug. 23 after a Broadview Road farmer reported the suspect rode the vehicle in a corn field, causing more than $1,000 damage to the crop. Officers followed the vehicle’s tracks from the cornfield and are investigating.

The owner of a North Carolina transport company reported Aug. 23 the business’ system was hacked by someone who has been cashing fraudulent checks drawn on the company’s account. One of the checks was cashed Aug. 22 at a Brecksville Road gas station, and officers are reviewing video footage of the transaction.

Firefighters examined an unknown substance found inside a plastic bottle placed inside a mailbox on Richlawn Drive Aug. 25. The residence owners made an additional report stating a neighbor is harassing them.

A Sawbridge Drive woman reported Aug. 26 she had a friend spend the night and then drove the woman to her home in North Royalton. She returned home to find an iPad and video game missing from the residence. The victim’s son said he allowed the woman into the home on one occasion because she said she had the wrong keys and she was a friend and had left her contact lenses in the house. He said he left her alone in the home after letting her in. Another witness said the suspect told her she went to a pawnshop the day after she left the residence. The suspect denied taking the items but agreed to pay for them because she is on probation.

A Buell Drive man reported Aug. 27 a neighbor has been harassing him since he called police in June to report the suspect was intoxicated and yelling on his porch. Police advised the victim to call them when the incidents occur.

Police are investigating a burglary of a Brecksville Road restaurant during the early hours of Aug. 27. A manager reported she went to work at 6 a.m. and noticed the keys to an office were missing. She used a spare key to enter the office and discovered a cash drawer had been stolen, along with some money from another drawer. A truck driver, whose rig was parked in the lot, said he noticed a dark-colored Ford Ranger pull around to the back of the business at 2:30 a.m. and park for about 10 minutes before backing to Brecksville Road and driving away.

The Akron police reports were compiled by Ariel Hakim, and the Peninsula reports were compiled by Sean Patrick. 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.

• West Side Neighborhood Watch