Brecksville Police Blotter: Shoplifting, Drunk Driving and Caught With Drugs

The following incidents were reported by the from Feb. 25 to March 5. The information was compiled from police reports.

Marijuana in the car, part 1
A 22-year-old Brecksville man was pulled over on Hickory Ridge Drive for not having rear lights for his license plate at 2:59 a.m. on March 5. The officer could smell marijuana from the car. The driver admitted that he could smell it, too, saying his friends had smoked it earlier. Officers found two pipes with marijuana residue, a bag of marijuana and a marijuana cigarette. The driver was charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, as well as with not having rear lights.

Marijuana in the car, part 2
Police stopped a car on Interstate 77 after noticing its dark window tint at 10:32 p.m. on March 1. When police asked the driver for his license, he said his wallet had been stolen, and he didn’t have ID or proof of insurance on him. It turned out that the 21-year-old Ravenna man’s license was suspended. When looking through the car, police found burnt marijuana cigarettes in the ashtray and console. When told, the driver said he also had marijuana hidden in his underwear. The driver was charged with possession of marijuana, driving under suspension and cited for window tint. The passenger was not charged.

Driving under the influence
Dispatch received a call about a car driving all over Wallings Road around 9:23 p.m. on Feb. 28. Police spotted the car turning onto Brecksville Road and watched it swerve in and out of its lane. Police stopped the car and began talking to the driver, a 51-year-old Independence man. He told police he hadn’t been drinking, but the officer could smell alcohol and asked him to step out of the car. When he did, the officer spotted an open bottle of whiskey on the floor.

The man failed the field sobriety tests and multiple breath tests. An officer found an open beer in the car, as well. He was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence, operating a vehicle under the influence due to blood alcohol level, consumption in a motor vehicle and operating without reasonable control.

Shoplifting
Police were called to at 4:40 p.m. on Feb. 25 to check on a possible shoplifter. When officers arrived, the suspect was on the ground outside. She had fallen trying to leave the store, but was not seriously injured. Officers asked the 57-year-old Broadview Heights woman to show them her receipt, but she stalled. An officer watched the surveillance video and talked to witnesses—it did not appear that she checked out at any registers. She had tried to leave with seven bags of groceries worth almost $150. The woman was charged with shoplifting.

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