Businesses report rash of catalytic converter thefts: Westlake Police Blotter

WESTLAKE, Ohio –

Thefts

The Westlake Police Department between March 21 and March 23 received multiple reports of stolen catalytic converters from business vehicles.

Two catalytic converters were cut off trucks in the 24000 block of Detroit Road and three vehicles had been vandalized in the 26000 block of First Street.

Surveillance footage shows that a silver Nissan Rogue was seen near most of the thefts. Investigators are still attempting to collect evidence. Westlake Police Department crime prevention officers are contacting each business to assess their property layout and vehicles to educate them on best practices to keep their businesses secure.

OVI: Clemens Road

Officers at 9:50 p.m. on March 19 responded to a report of a disabled vehicle stopped in the road on Clemens by Bradley.

A witness said that the male driver walked from the vehicle and urinated in the bushes of the nearby Holiday Inn Express. The 48-year-old driver was back at his car when officers arrived.

The driver said he thought he had struck a deer although there was no evidence to support this. Officers could not immediately determine what caused the disabling damage to the car, but they immediately determined that the male driver appeared intoxicated. A witness independently agreed that the driver appeared to be “under the weather.”

The Avon Lake driver was field-tested and arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to control. His vehicle was towed from the scene. The driver refused a breath test.

Assault: Clemens Road

Officers at 11:50 p.m. on March 20 responded to a report of a physical fight involving multiple people in the lobby of the DoubleTree hotel on Clemens Road.

An involved vehicle, pointed out by witnesses, was stopped leaving the scene. The occupants of the car did not want to identify themselves or answer questions about what happened in the hotel.

Investigation revealed that a fight had occurred involving several people attending a birthday party. A woman claimed she had been struck by the man who had been driving the car stopped by the officers. The 28-year-old Elyria man was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault as well as driving under suspension and operating with an expired plate. No one needed immediate medical attention.

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