CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Division of Police has announced the arrest of a second Summit County man wanted in connection with a "street takeover" that happened in Ohio City last month.
Police apprehended 20-year-old John Alan Dietrich of Barberton and charged him with aggravated arson for fires that happened during a takeover at West 25th Street and Lorain Avenue on Sept. 15 at approximately 2:30 a.m.
Last week, officers arrested 18-year-old Gauge Michael Thomas Franklin of Akron and similarly charged him with aggravated arson. Bond was set at $100,000 for Franklin with a preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 15.
In the arrest warrant, Cleveland police allege that Franklin and Dietrich "did knowingly and purposefully participate in pouring a fire accelerant on a city street and igniting it, causing the street to catch fire and cause a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the surrounding crowd."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cleveland Division of Police at 216-623-1234 or email police@clevelandohio.gov.
Amid the rash of recent street takeovers, including several incidents that impacted multiple locations in Cleveland on Sept. 28-29, Cleveland City Council has introduced legislation to "toughen street racing laws."
According to council, the new ordinance would "amend the city's street racing laws to prohibit additional actions and behaviors." The new prohibitions would include:
- Blocking intersections
- Burnouts
- Doughnuts
- Drifting (a sideways skid)
- Stunt driving
- Wheelies