Crime & Safety

Looking for a Lost Bear; No Smoking That, Either: Best of the Blotter

Here are some of the most noteworthy items from police departments in the area this week

All information was provided by police reports from departments in Patch communities. Where arrests or charges are mentioned it does not indicate a conviction.

Bad Night's Sleep in Strongsville

Police found a man lying half in the grass and half in the mulch, with his arms tucked inside his shirt, outside an apartment building about 7:30 a.m. Aug. 22.

The man turned out to be alive and well, a report said, although he had no idea how he'd gotten there.

He had money and said he would make arrangements to get home.

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Electricity Scam Reported

A con man called the owner of the Indian Grocery Store, claimed he worked with the electric company and threatened to turn the grocer's electricity off if he didn't wire hundreds of dollars. 

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The owner of the Cuyahoga Falls store complied and sent $495. He grew suspicious when the payment didn't post to his utility account, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. 

Police confirmed it was a scam.

Thief Lucks Into Big-Ticket Items

Whoever broke into cars in Stow recently hit the big time, finding electronics, jewelry and a gun. 

One car owner reported someone stole a .45 caliber semi-automatic Smith & Wesson handgun valued at $500. A $400 Toshiba laptop and a Samsung video camera worth $200 were also taken from the car.

In another incident, an Apple Macbook Pro laptop valued at $2,000 and two watches worth more than $5,300 were taken from a vehicle.

Another driver reported a $900 Dell laptop stolen. 

Hey, the Policy Says No Smoking

The Holiday Inn in Bath Township called police after someone violated the no-smoking rule — in a big way.

An employee noticed the odor of marijuana on the third floor. Police were able to pinpoint the room, but no one answered the door.

Because of the no-smoking rule, a clerk opened the door with a key.

The only things left behind inside were a strong smell of marijuana and some ashes in the toilet. The guests had left.

Don't Even Read This

A man was charged with animal cruelty after he killed his roommate’s dog and put it on the table at a home in Lakewood.

Read This Instead

A manager at Old Navy in Mayfield Heights told police that two men and three children were standing outside the store Aug. 21 demanding to get in 47 minutes after it had closed.

The reason? One of the children had left a Winnie the Pooh stuffed bear behind.

Within 10 minutes, an officer responded and all parties agreed the child should be reunited with the stuffed animal.

Vandal With a Knife Returns

Tire-slashing vandals have once again struck Stow drivers.

Five of the reported slashed tires happened on the same night. A sixth incident, reported earlier, involved a Genevieve Boulevard man who has been charged with shooting his neighbor’s dog to death.

The victims reported hundreds of dollars in damage.

In July, three car owners reported slashed tires to police.


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