ORANGE, Ohio — Police investigated two separate car thefts that took place within 24 hours of one another, one originating in neighboring Warrensville Heights and involving a Kia with minimal security features.
A sergeant conducting stationary patrol at the Fellowship City Church on Emery Road noticed a westbound 2018 Kia Optima drive past with no visible registration around 5 p.m. June 8 and attempted a traffic stop.
The driver turned left on Country Lane and eventually pulled over, where he was instructed to turn off the car and put both hands out the window.
One hand came out and the other opened the car door as the driver, described as 5 feet tall, 130 pounds, possibly in his late teens, got out and took off running towards the Warrensville Heights apartment complex.
A K-9 unit was requested but none were available as police found the driver’s side window had been busted out and the Kia’s ignition punched, bypassing the need for a key.
Officers contacted the owner, a Warrensville Heights woman, who confirmed that the car was a “fresh stolen” and arrived along with local police there to reclaim it for processing.
A check of Flock Safety cameras showed that the stolen Kia entered Country Lane at 11:06 p.m. June 7 as the investigation continued.
Meanwhile, about 12 hours earlier on June 7, Orange police were called late in the morning to the Extended Stay North, where a Euclid man, 57, reported he had driven his silver 2013 Mazda 3 to visit a friend the night before.
There was also a third person in the room whom he did not know well, later identified in the report as a Maple Heights man, 35.
The Euclid man told police that when he was ready to leave, he noticed his keys were missing and upon checking the parking lot, his car was gone too.
Flock Safety cameras indicated that the Mazda was last tracked heading westbound on Miles Road just after 3 a.m. June 7 at Emery Road.
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