Road rager smashes sideview mirror; man defrauded of $11,000 on internet: Brook Park police blotter

BROOK PARK, Ohio –

Criminal damaging or endangering: Smith Road

A Newburgh Heights man, 30, damaged the passenger-side mirror of another man’s vehicle at about 2:30 p.m. Nov. 28 following a traffic dispute on Smith near Sheldon Road.

The victim told police he was driving southbound on Smith between Holland and Sheldon roads when the man’s Chevrolet Silverado cut off and nearly hit his vehicle. The victim said he had to slam his brakes to avoid colliding with the pickup truck.

The victim honked his horn at the man, who responded with an obscene hand gesture. The victim made the same gesture at the man.

The man slowed down, switched lanes and allowed the victim to pass. As the victim passed, the man reached out his window and smacked the victim’s passenger-side mirror, causing the glass to crack. The man then sped southbound on Smith, traveling through a red light in the process.

The victim gave the truck’s license-plate number to police, who traced the plate to a Newburgh Heights woman, the suspect’s mother. She gave police the man’s phone number.

Police called the man, who denied breaking the victim’s mirror but offered to repair it anyway. Police gave the man’s contact information to the victim so that he and the man could arrange to have the mirror repaired. However, when police tried to follow up with the victim, he never returned their calls.

Theft by deception: Fry Road

A Fry man told police Dec. 6 that he was defrauded of $11,000 through an internet scam.

Three days earlier, the man answered a fake Microsoft popup ad on the internet. He called a number listed in the ad and spoke with a fake Microsoft representative. The fraudster told the man his computer was infected with a virus.

The fraudster then locked the man out of his computer, lied that she had found child pornography on his computer and told him she would call the FBI about the porn. Then she said she would not call the FBI if the man sent her $21,000 to have the child porn removed.

The man and his son drove to the bank and withdrew $11,000. The fake Microsoft rep ordered them to deposit the cash into a bitcoin ATM. The man and his son drove to a Valero station, which had a bitcoin ATM, in Berea. Using an account number provided by the fraudster, they purchased $11,000 in bitcoin.

The man and his son discussed the matter after arriving home and realized they had been scammed. They were unable to provide police the popup ad phone number or the bitcoin account number. Police advised the man and his son how to avoid scams in the future.

Grand theft vehicle: Hummel Road

A 2019 Kia Forte was reported stolen at about 6 a.m. Dec. 2 from the parking lot of Cambridge Court Apartments, 14917 Hummel.

Police found the plastic cover of the Kia’s steering column on the ground where the car had been parked.

Grand theft vehicle: Hummel Road

A 2021 Kia Seltos was reported stolen at about 8 a.m. Dec. 3 from the parking lot of Cambridge Court Apartments, 14905 Hummel. The victim said she had locked the car’s doors.

Operating a vehicle under the influence: Smith Road

A Cleveland man, 66, was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Dec. 3 for drunk driving.

Police pulled over the man’s Chevrolet Silverado on northbound Smith near Bowfin Boulevard after seeing the vehicle drift outside its lane several times.

The man admitted drinking “a couple of beers.” His eyes were glassy and bloodshot and he smelled like alcohol. The man was confused, and when police asked him to step outside the truck, he was unsteady on his feet.

The man failed field sobriety tests.  Police found a small amount of marijuana in his jacket.

Criminal damaging: Hummel Road

A Kia Optima parked outside Cambridge Court Apartments, 14901 Hummel, was reported damaged at about 2 a.m. Dec. 5. The car’s rear passenger window was broken and the steering column peeled.

Theft: Brookpark Road

A catalytic converter was stolen between 6:30 p.m. Nov. 23 and 9:30 a.m. Nov. 28 from a box truck parked outside Malley’s Chocolates, 13400.