Thief sweeps up vacuum on delivery: Middleburg Heights Police Blotter

Sep 28, 2023

Middleburg Heights police stationJoanne Berger DuMound, special to cleveland.com

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio

Theft: Whitedove Lane

A resident went to the police station Oct. 3 about a package she had ordered from Amazon that was never delivered.

She said she had bought a robotic vacuum for $69. She received tracking notifications but never got the package. She checked into the incident further and learned that the vacuum allegedly had been left in the apartment complex mail room.

The victim learned that someone had signed for it. She said she did not sign for the package. She checked the mail room and main office, but did not find it.

Weapon while intoxicated: Pearl Road

Police received a call at 12:54 a.m. Oct. 7 that an intoxicated man at Applebee’s had a weapon in the restroom.

Police went there and met the man at the restaurant’s front door. They asked him if he was carrying a firearm. He said it was in his waistband.

Police retrieved it for everyone’s safety.

The man said he had arrived at the restaurant with some friends and became ill while ordering food. He went to the restroom, where he vomited and fainted. His friends helped him out of the restroom and decided to leave.

Police smelled a strong scent of alcohol on him. Police asked if he had consumed alcohol at the restaurant or before. He said he had some prior to arriving.

EMS was called due to his severe state. The man, however, decided to not seek medical help.

He was cited for using a weapon while intoxicated. He was taken to the police station, but was unable to find a ride home. He was then given a courtesy ride home.

Theft: Bagley Road

An officer went to Heinen’s Oct. 6 regarding a woman who had concealed items in her purse and left the store without paying for them.

The suspect was brought back into the store. The store manager told the officer that he saw the woman push a shopping cart inside the store. She had a can of cleaner in the child seat of the cart. He continued watching her as she selected a steak and placed that and the cleaner into her purse.

She paid for a few other items she had in her cart at the checkout counter and walked out of the store.

They found the steak, cleaner, batteries, potatoes and cookie dough, totaling $58, in her purse. She was cited for theft.

Trespassing: Engle Road

An officer went to Motel 6 Oct. 4 about a man who was there but had trespassed yesterday on the grounds. The man was standing outside a room.

He did not want to provide identification, but it was found in his phone case. He had an active warrant. He also had a crack pipe on him.

He was cited for having drug paraphernalia and was transported to the Strongsville jail.

Seatbelt violation: Bagley Road

An officer saw a car parked at a Speedway gas pump at 11:40 p.m. Oct. 3. He felt the driver was aware of the officer. The car took an evasive move to leave the station using a farther exit.

The officer followed the car and ran its registration, which had expired in May. He stopped the car. He asked the driver if there were any firearms or drugs inside the car. The driver did not answer.

The man eventually said he did not have any weapons, but did have a roach in the center console. The officer said he would search the car after the man said he also had marijuana in the car.

However, the man changed his answer and said he did not have any marijuana. He was asked to get out of the car, which he did.

The driver asked that a supervisor come to the scene. He did.

The sergeant told the driver that the stop was valid and that saying he had marijuana gave the officer probable cause to search it.

The passenger was asked to get out of the car. During the search, police found a handgun underneath the passenger seat. It was loaded with one round in the chamber and six in the magazine. The passenger denied knowing it was there, saying the driver had just picked her up at her local job.

The driver said he also did not know it was there. He said he was forbidden to have a firearm due to his criminal history.

Police saw he had a robbery conviction and drug possession conviction in 2011. Each prohibited him from having a firearm.

Upon checking, the car’s registration belonged to another vehicle and the car was towed.

The driver was cited for not wearing a safety belt and for having fictitious plates. The two were released from the scene and told charges may be pending when the case is presented to a grand jury.

Traffic stop: Engle Road

An officer at 5:43 p.m. Oct. 2 saw a car leave Motel 6 with the driver not using turn signals. He stopped the car.

The driver twice denied having a firearm or drugs in the car. He also would not allow the officer to search it. The officer went to his cruiser to ask for a K-9 officer and saw the driver waving his arms. He said the officer could search the car.

The officer did and found a large amount of marijuana and other paraphernalia in the glove box.

The man was cited for not using turn signals and was told that the seized items would be destroyed. The driver was released.

Resisting arrest: Bagley Road

A motorist called police at 8 p.m. Oct. 1 about a possible drunken driver who was all over the road, had almost struck a sign, was weaving and had pulled into a driveway on Bennington Boulevard.

An officer saw that the car was partially parked in the driveway and partially on the front lawn. Its lights were on and the driver was still inside. The car’s motor was running.

The driver was leaning over looking at something. The driver said he had just left an AA meeting in the local area.

The officer noted alcohol on the man’s breath. He told the driver he had almost hit a sign. The man replied that he knew.

“I’m getting home safe … that’s all,” he replied.

He said he did not have anything to drink, but took some painkillers. The officer noted that the man’s shirt was wet, as if he had vomited or spilled a drink on himself.

It took the man a while to find his driver’s license. The officer saw an open bottle of vodka on the floor. The driver said it had been there for some time.

The driver was unsteady standing and could not keep his balance during field sobriety tests. The man said he took medication he was not used to and had quit drinking 33 days ago.

When told about the breath test, the driver said he had one drink of whiskey. He was unable to give a proper breath sample and refused repeatedly to give another one. The officer told him he was being cited for drunken driving.

He pulled away when the officer tried to handcuff him. Other officers had to assist in arresting him.

He then kicked an officer. He yelled obscenities at police during his arrest. He refused to sign a form at the police station and take a breath test.

He was released to a relative and cited with drunken driving, having an open container and resisting arrest. He had a prior drunken driving arrest in 2018.