Man faces five felony charges after throwing gun from car: Solon Police Blotter

SOLON, Ohio

Weapons offense: Emerald Ridge Parkway

At 11:35 a.m. June 22, an officer checked the registration on a car on Harper Road that had an obstructed license plate.

The officer learned that the driver was wanted on a warrant and had a suspended driver's license.

The officer attempted to stop the car, which continued on until it reached the traffic circle on Emerald Ridge Parkway.

On that street, the driver got out of his car and threw something into the grass.

The man still held something in his other hand. He tried to quickly hand it to an unknown woman who was standing along the road, but the officer detained him before he could do so.

The man then dropped what was later found to be a bag of crack cocaine and tried, unsuccessfully, to kick the bag into a sewer.

It was learned that the man had thrown a loaded gun into the grass.

Police arrested the 40-year-old Cleveland man for failure to comply, a fifth-degree felony; drug possession, a fifth-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony; improper handling of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony; having a weapon under disability, a third-degree felony; driving under suspension; failure to wear a seatbelt; and driving with an obstructed license plate.

Due to his past record, the man was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

The report did not provide information on the bystander.

The agency that issued the warrant would not pick up the suspect, as it was out of their pickup radius.

Theft: North Burr Oak Drive

At 7:05 a.m. June 20, a North Burr Oak Drive woman reported that her 2024 Toyota Highlander was missing from her garage.

Shortly after the report was made, the vehicle was recovered on Darley Avenue in Cleveland.

It is believed that the theft occurred at about 4 a.m. and that the key had been left inside the vehicle. The garage door had been left open.

Later, at 7:55 a.m., an officer was patrolling North Burr Oak Drive and saw a parked car's door open.

The officer informed the car's owner, a man, 46, who reported that his wallet was missing from the car. The car's door had been left unlocked.

Then, at 9:25 a.m., a man, 21, who also lives on North Burr Oak Drive, reported finding his car's doors open. A gun and wallet were stolen. The doors had been left unlocked.

Weapons offense: U.S. 422

At 9:15 p.m. June 13, an officer stopped a Ford Fusion on eastbound U.S. 422 after witnessing the vehicle travel outside its marked lanes.

The driver did not have a license, so a tow truck was called as the officer began to write out a citation.

As this was done, another officer found a loaded pistol and suspected fentanyl powder inside the car.

Police arrested the 29-year-old Youngstown man on charges of improper handling of a firearm, a fourth-degree felony, as well as a second-degree drug possession charge.

The man was further cited for not driving within marked lanes and driving without a license.

OVI: Harper Road

At 1 a.m. June 16, an officer watched as a Ford SUV traveled too close behind the car ahead, then made an improper turn by driving into opposing lanes of travel.

The officer conducted a registration check of the Ford and learned that its owner was wanted for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.

The officer stopped the SUV and smelled the odor of alcohol on the driver.

The driver, a Cleveland man, 46, initially denied drinking, but later admitted to consuming two beers.

The man failed field sobriety testing and was found to have a blood-alcohol content of .132, above the state minimum for drunk driving of .08.

Police arrested the man on charges of OVI, having a prohibited BAC and not driving within marked lanes.

Police had the SUV towed and turned the man over on the warrant to the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office.

Criminal damaging: Aurora Road

At 10:25 p.m. June 17, a 26-year-old employee of DiBella's Subs, 30050 Aurora Road, reported that after she finished her shift, she went to her car to find that one of its tires had been slashed.

The woman and her 23-year-old manager suspect that a male former employee had cut the tire. Police are investigating.

Theft: Miles Road

At 3:55 p.m. June 19, an employee of Miles Farmers Market, 28560 Miles Road, reported detaining a customer who had concealed $35 worth of merchandise in her purse.

Police cited a 54-year-old North Ridgeville woman for theft.

Later that day, an employee stopped another shoplifter. The merchandise was recovered, but the customer fled in a vehicle.

Theft: Aurora Road

At 1:40 p.m. June 20, police arrested a Warrensville Heights woman, 21, for failing to scan $276 worth of groceries while in a self-checkout lane at Giant Eagle, 34310 Aurora Road.

Theft: Park Side Trail

At 7:40 a.m. June 21, a woman, 75, reported being the victim of a scam.

The woman told police she was contacted by someone claiming to be a U.S. Homeland Security representative. They said the woman was to be arrested for owing money.

The woman, who had immigrated to the United States at some point in her life, was told she could prevent being arrested by purchasing gift cards and reading the PIN numbers to the caller.

She bought $750 worth of gift cards each from Nordstrom and Target and relayed the PIN numbers to the scammer before catching on that she was being scammed.

She lost a total of $1,500.