What police and crime stories were you reading and talking about this year?
2012 was a year for some rather unique, and in some cases disturbing, crime stories in Westlake. There was the high-profile Regal Cinema weapons case of Scott A. Smith, but stories about DUIs and "Cleaning Fairies" also got people reading. What police and crime stories caught your attention? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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DUI arrests are on the increase in Westlake. If you insist on driving after a few drinks, here's what you should know about how alcohol affects your system and your criminal record.
Do you know how many drinks you can have before you're in danger of getting a drunken driving violation? Drunk-driving arrests are rising in Westlake. Westlake Police have made 201 DUI arrests through Oct. 31, according for figures released by the department on Tuesday. That's up from 187 in all of 2011, with November and December still to be counted. Westlake resident Jennifer Kearney was sentenced to three years in prison in November for a 2011 drunk-driving crash where she was driving the wrong way on I-90 in Cleveland and killed motorcyclist Kenneth Stith. As we head into the holiday season, Patch wants you to know when enough is enough. When police pull drivers over for suspected drunken driving, officers ask them to perform field …
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The following information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
You'd think five DUI convictions would get the "Don't drink and drive" lesson soaked in, but some people just don't learn. Matthew Messer, 33, of Sheffield Lake, was pulled over for weaving on Second Street around 3:01 a.m. on Nov. 22. Westlake Police reported that Messer refused a breath test. He was arrested for felony DUI, and is also facing charges for refusing to test with a prior conviction, weaving and driving under suspension. Messer was still in Cuyahoga County jail on Wednesday. Bond is set at $20,000.
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The following arrest information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
If you've ever used a GPS navigator in your car, there may have been a time where it gave you imperfect directions. A 26-year-old Broadview Heights woman tried to blame driving the wrong way on I-90 on her GPS. It didn't work. Jacqueline Kovach was stopped by Westlake Police at 2:34 a.m. on Aug. 26 near the Columbia Road overpass, driving west in the eastbound lanes. She told police she knew it was the wrong way, but drove anyway because the GPS told her to. Kovach was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .111 and was arrested for drunk driving, open container (a can of beer), no seatbelt and willful and wanton disregard for safety. Kovach reportedly then complained that police should be arresting drunks who are worse than her.
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The following arrest information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
An illegal immigrant living in Westlake was arrested early Tuesday morning after attempting to flee from police trying to make a traffic stop for a suspected DUI. Efrain Santos, 22, was arrested at the corner of Bassett and Detroit Roads around 2:35 a.m. Tuesday after trying to run away and then putting up a fight with officers. Neighbors nearby were awakened by the scene. One neighbor said that, with all the police lights, "My bedroom looked like a disco." Santos was found to have a blood-alcohol level of .260, more than three times the legal limit. He is being charged with DUI, resisiting arrest, open container, hit-skip/leaving the scene, no lights, no driver's license, and improper right turn. Santos is also being held on outstanding …
In this Article:
The following arrest information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Several people are dealing with car repairs after an accused drunk driver plowed into their parked cars near Giant Eagle in the Promenade. The crash happened at 12:04 p.m. on July 28. The driver, a 27-year-old Lorain woman, hit five parked cars hard enough to push them almost completely out of their parking spots. The car-nage ended up resulting in five cars, including the driver's, getting towed. She is being charged with DUI and wanton/willful disregard of safety.
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6:08 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
Lock her up & throw away the key. Thank God nobody was hurt more ›
The following arrest information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
A 20-year-old Westlake man is facing DUI and other charges after a four-car crash on Roseland Way. Westlake police reported he crashed his car into three parked cars and rolled his 2011 Ford Fusion around 10:39 p.m. on July 28. The Fusion was upside-down when officers arrived, and the man had to be extricated from his car by Westlake Fire Department. He was taken to St. John Medical Center, where he had to be put in restraints and have a spit hood put on because he kept spitting at medical staff. In addition to DUI, the man is being charged with no seat belt, failure to control and underage consumption.
In this Article:
The following arrest information was provided by the Westlake Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction.
Planning a Labor Day weekend vacation turned into a major headache for a Westlake woman. She found a cottage rental online, and sent a deposit of $222 via Western Union on July 18, and another $233 later that day. When the vendor requested a third deposit, the woman became suspicious. She then saw the rental listing was removed from the website. She reported it to Westlake police. The investigation continues. From Lakewood Patch: A man bragged about how drunk he was to a McDonald’s employee while in the drive-thru around 8:30 p.m. July 27. The employee called the police. Westlake officers tracked the license plate to a man on Westwood Avenue in Lakewood, but officers were unable to catch up with him.
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The specific location of the checkpoint will be announced Saturday morning, the day of the operation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol announced a drunk driving checkpoint will be set up in Portage County Saturday evening. The exact location will be announced Saturday morning. “Based on provisional data, there were 332 OVI-related fatal crashes in which 359 people were killed last year and 7,507 injured in Ohio,” Lt. Nakia Hendrix, commander of the Ravenna Post, said. “State troopers make on average 25,000 OVI arrests each year in combating these dangerous drivers. OVI checkpoints are designed to not only deter impaired driving, but to proactively remove these dangerous drivers from our roadways.” The latest checkpoint was in Portage County in Brimfield on St. Patrick's Day. Officers arrested 17 for drunk driving.
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A national study has a surprising statistic.
A new national survey on driving habits shows one in 10 teens has driven drunk on New Year's Eve. But the study also shows a way for other teens to protect themselves— and their friends behind the wheel: Just ask them not to. About 94 percent of teens surveyed said they would stop drinking and driving if a passenger in the car asked them not to, according to the study by Liberty Mutual Insurance and SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). Some 90 percent said they would stop driving under the influence of marijuana if asked by a passenger. “To avoid a fatal start to the New Year, teen passengers need to use their voices if they have concerns about their friends’ behaviors," Stephen Wallace, senior advisor for policy, research and …
T. Goose
1:07 am on Friday, September 28, 2012
Problem here is, they took her advice I think. (I'm glad too) more ›