Thieves hit unlocked cars parked at motels: Middleburg Heights Police Blotter

HEIGHTS OF MIDDLEBURG, Ohio

Grand Theft: Rosbough Drive

An officer attended Sonesta at 5:09 a.m. on August 8 for a stolen truck in the motel parking lot. The victim said there were two 25-pound, two 45-pound and two 85-pound dumbbells in the bed of the truck. The victim said he left the keys in the truck after parking it at 7:30 p.m. on August 7. He did not return to the truck – or where he was parked – until 5 a.m. on August 8. The truck was listed as stolen.

Grand Theft Attempt: Engle Road

An officer attended the Crowne Plaza at 10:19 a.m. on August 11 and spoke with the owner of a car. The man said someone had attempted overnight to remove the column from his car to steal it. The car’s ignition was damaged, but it still worked with the correct key. The car was his, but in his mother’s name. He said he left the car unlocked. Nothing else was stolen or damaged.

Grand Theft Attempt: Rosbough Drive

An officer attended Sonesta at 10:13 a.m. on August 11 for a car that was broken into. The victim said she parked her rental car on August 10 and informed the rental company that the check engine light was on and not working properly. The next morning she went to the car and opened the door. She discovered that the steering column was stripped and hanging down below the steering wheel. The officer found no damage to the exterior of the car. The victim, however, was adamant she had locked it the night before. Apparently the thief couldn’t start the car and left it there.

Traffic violation: Bagley Road

An officer at 1:22 a.m. on August 7 followed a car traveling in a 35 mph zone. The car pulled into the curb lane without using a turn signal. The motorist stopped the car after seeing the patrol car’s hazard lights flashing. The driver stuck his hands out the window to show he had turned off the engine and removed the keys. The officer approached the pedestrian window, but the driver could not lower it since he removed the keys from the ignition. The officer smelled a slight odor of alcohol when the door opened. The driver’s eyes glazed over. The officer told the motorist he was going 44 mph. the officer saw a hard soda can on the passenger floor. The driver said he drank it last night and it was from a previous camping trip. He gave the officer his driver’s license. The motorist said he did not want to get out of the car to conduct field sobriety tests. He then agreed to do so. The driver said he had problems with his right eye and his knee. The officer said he would take those injuries into account. The motorist did not execute them well. He said again that he had nothing to drink that evening. He accepted a breathalyzer test and sat in the cruiser while an officer drove to get a laptop. He asked if the officer would give him “some slack” and allow him to drive home. The officer continued to smell alcohol on his breath. The driver refused to take a portable breathalyzer upon arrival. He was arrested for drunk driving. He became aggressive and refused to sit in the back of the patrol car until he got his phone. He begged the officers not to tow his mother’s car. He also told a sergeant who arrived at the scene to “shut up, I’m not talking to you.” During the ride to the station, the man kept saying, “That’s why people hate you.” He again refused to take a breathalyzer test. He was also cited for speeding, no flashing and an open container. He was returned to his parents.

Mandate: Circle of Stoneridge

An officer responded to an area on Engle Road near the Cube Smart Storage at 7:26 p.m. on August 4 to a report of a man and woman who fled the scene of an accident. The incident happened on Interstate 71 northbound near the Sheldon Road overpass. An officer saw a man and a woman walking down Engle Road. He stopped them. They denied being part of the crash, but the officer held them off until more units arrived. The woman confessed that she was driving the car that crashed on I-71. She and the man then fled. The two suspects had warrants and the alerted communities wanted to take them into custody. They were given to the cities where the mandates were active.

Flight: Rosbough Drive

An officer attended Extended Stay America at 4:34 p.m. on August 4 to meet with a woman whose car license plate was stolen that day. It was registered as stolen.

Animal Incident: Smith Road

An officer attended Gabriel Brother’s store at 12:25 p.m. on August 7. A caller said a dog was locked in a car with the windows open. The caller was concerned about the welfare of the dog. The officer saw a small puppy on the ground. The car was locked with the sunroof only cracked. The town animal keeper arrived on the scene. A man, who was the driver, then left the store. The officer learned that the man had a warrant with Cuyahoga County for dangerous drugs. The man was taken into custody and transported to the Cuyahoga County Jail without incident. The animal keeper took the dog and gathered information for a citation.