Elderly Resident Loses $25,000 in Elaborate Fraud
On May 5 at 4:11 pm, a 78-year-old Solon man reported being the victim of an elaborate scam. The resident received a pop-up message on his computer allegedly from PayPal claiming suspicious account activity and providing a phone number for assistance. Upon logging into his account, he observed a payment request for $999.
After calling the provided number, the victim was told the payment request was fraudulent and caused by a computer virus. The scammers directed him to grant remote access to his computer and log into his PayPal account. During this process, the victim noticed his linked bank account had been credited with $25,000 from an unknown source.
The fake tech support instructed the victim to return this money via Bitcoin. The man withdrew $25,000 cash from his bank, drove to a gas station on Rockside Road, and deposited the funds into a Bitcoin machine, effectively transferring the money to the scammer’s digital wallet.
When the victim later checked his bank account, he discovered he was now overdrawn by $25,000. Investigators believe the scammers deposited insufficient funds into his account, which were later reversed by the bank. The victim appears to have lost the entire $25,000.
Protection Order Violation
Officers responded to a home on Brainard Road on May 6 at 4:45 pm regarding a dispute over a vehicle being towed. A Garfield Heights woman had arrived at her ex-husband’s residence to drop off their daughter and had brought along a tow truck to remove a vehicle parked at the property.
The 51-year-old resident disputed the vehicle removal and informed officers that the woman was prohibited from being at the property due to an active protection order. After the tow truck departed without the disputed vehicle, officers confirmed the protection order’s validity.
Tina White, 54, of Garfield Heights, was arrested and charged with Violating a Protection Order (M1). She was transported to Solon Jail, and police towed her vehicle for safekeeping.
Domestic Violence
Officers responded to a residence on Ledgehill Lane on May 6 at 7:36 pm after receiving reports that the homeowners’ son was attempting to break into their home. Upon arrival, officers detained the suspect, who provided no explanation for his actions.
The suspect’s parents, a 57-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman, reported that their son had threatened them during previous outbursts. When they refused to let him into the house, he allegedly attempted to break in through the back door by smashing the glass with a rock while making threats.
Otto Mott, 23, of Solon, was arrested and charged with Domestic Violence (M4). No injuries were reported in the incident.
Criminal Damaging
On May 7 at 11:50 am, a 73-year-old Solon man reported to police that someone from “KC Roofing” had offered to inspect his Allenbury Drive home for storm damage in April. After accepting the inspection, the resident was informed of shingle damage.
Although no repairs were made, the homeowner filed an insurance claim. The insurance company subsequently denied the claim after determining the damage was man-made rather than weather-related. The homeowner filed a police report to resubmit his claim as “vandalism,” though he did not explicitly accuse the roofing contractor of causing the damage. The case currently has no leads.
Operating Under the Influence
On May 7 at 5:37 pm, a witness reported following an erratic driver. The red Hyundai Elantra reportedly struck another vehicle in Bedford Heights before fleeing eastbound on Cannon Road. The car then hit a railroad tunnel wall and a mailbox in Solon.
The witness observed the driver and passenger switching positions somewhere near the Orange Village border. Police from Solon and Orange Village stopped the vehicle on Brainard Road near Harvard.
Solon officers interviewed the original driver, noting his slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, alcohol odor, and confused demeanor. He was arrested for suspected OVI and transported to Solon Jail, where field sobriety tests confirmed poor performance. A breath test registered a 0.335% blood alcohol content.
Emerito Lopez-Salguero, 21, of Woodmere, was charged with OVI (M1), Prohibited BAC (M1), and Failure to Control (MM). The person driving at the time of the traffic stop was also arrested for OVI by Orange Village Police. Bedford Heights Police Department completed a crash report for the initial collision.
Weapons Offense
An officer stopped a black Audi on Harper Road near US 422 on May 7 at 11:17 pm for suspected speeding (47 in a 35-mph zone) and illegal window tint. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer detected the odor of burnt marijuana and observed a suspected marijuana blunt on the center console.
All occupants were removed from the vehicle and detained. Despite the driver denying marijuana use in the car, a search revealed two loaded semi-automatic weapons. Two men seated in the back seat near one of the guns were taken to Solon Jail for further investigation.
While reviewing car recording footage, the officer heard one of the men discussing the weapon and attempting to hide bullets in the police vehicle. Clemmit Cannon, 65, of Garfield Heights, was charged with Tampering with Evidence (F3), Having Weapons Under Disability (F3), and Improper Handling of a Firearm (F4).
The driver, Sherry Smith, 51, of Cleveland, was charged with Improper Handling of a Firearm (M2). Another male passenger, 49, from Cleveland, was held for Cleveland Metroparks Police Department on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear on a traffic offense. A 65-year-old female passenger from Cleveland was released with the vehicle without charges.
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