ORANGE, Ohio
Speeding, impaired driving; resisting arrest, obstructing official business: I-271, Richmond Road
A patrol officer clocked a northbound Chevrolet car going 93 mph in the freeway express lane and showing no signs of slowing down as it passed the cruiser sitting on the median at 12:17 a.m. Sept. 6.
After stopping the car and smelling alcohol, the officer asked the driver, a Cleveland woman, if she’d been drinking, to which she repeatedly responded “Are you going to give me a ticket or what?”
She in turn asked the officer if he had a developmental impairment, using a derogatory term to do so as she threw in a racial epithet and attempted to use her phone to record the traffic stop because she knew her “amended rights.”
When the officer asked what rights she felt were being violated, she said he was getting on her nerves.
She further told her passenger and husband not to hand over his I.D. Other officers arrived, with one saying he could smell alcohol from a further distance away.
They also worried she would attempt to drive off and eventually arrested and handcuffed her as she allegedly resisted.
Her combative behavior reportedly escalated as police took her to the Solon jail.
When she complained of shoulder pain, medics were called to the jail and eventually took her to Ahuja Medical Center.
There, she remained uncooperative and insulting to staff, asking to use the restroom, then emerging in the crowded hallway wearing nothing but handcuffs.
Over her objections, a nurse put her clothes back on and she was given various tickets, a court date and a personal bond before being released into the care of medical staff.
Police gave her husband a courtesy ride to Cleveland.
Identity fraud: Orange Place
Police responded to Extended Stay America South on Sept. 10, when a woman reported she had lost $9,000 in a fraud scheme.
Five days earlier, she got a call from a man who said he was with the Bank of America Customer Protection Team.
The caller informed her of suspicious transactions detected on her account and claimed that her identity had been compromised.
He said the only piece of information the perpetrator did not possess was her mother’s maiden name, which she then disclosed.
The caller asked if she’d made any purchases in Canada or Malaysia, to which she responded no.
He claimed those transactions had been declined and instructed her to visit a Bank of America branch to approve the charges in order to assist in locating and apprehending the suspect.
At that time, all banks were closed. On Sept. 9 he called back, stating that the identity theft had originated from within a Bank of America branch.
He directed her to visit the Woodmere bank branch and then call him.
He provided her with a scripted statement to read to the teller, which would authorize a charge and enable them to trace the perpetrator.
She did so, and after speaking with a senior banker and following the script, the previous declined charges were approved by the bank.
The suspect then called her again, claiming that the imposter was attempting to use her Discover credit card — for which she provided her account information.
The calls continued as he asked her to return to the Bank of America branch on Sept.11 to reverse more charges.
The victim then suspended all Bank of America cards and placed a freeze on her Discover account.
She then asked police to document the incident for informational purposes only, as they collected additional screenshots and texts from the suspect.
9-1-1 Hang-up: West Woodcrest Drive
Police responded to a local group home at 5:21 p.m. Sept. 12 for a disturbance.
Dispatchers reported that a male client and a female caretaker had an argument and he wound up throwing the phone at her.
It was not immediately clear which party called 9-1-1.
Damage to property: Blossom Lane
Police arrived at a resident on Sept. 23 to document a report of a broken window.
Get police blotters by email every weekday for free with our new Police Blotter newsletter. Sign up at cleveland.com/newsletters