CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley is seeking to charge two teens as adults amid video released by the Cleveland Division of Police that shows the carjacking of a woman at gunpoint last month, plus an attempt to run over two people with a car days later.
Police say the footage, shared with 3News by our media partner Cleveland.com, features the 14-year-old suspect who was arrested on Nov. 11 and has been linked to dozens of other crimes, plus his 17-year-old accomplice.
WHAT THE VIDEO SHOWS
The first part of the video is from Oct. 31 at 2:43 p.m. near the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center on Hough Avenue.
A woman is seen walking her two dogs before being approached by two people, identified by police as the 14-year-old suspect and his 17-year-old accomplice. The duo are seen taking the woman's car keys, sifting through the vehicle itself, kicking one of her dogs, and dragging her away from the car while holding a gun at her. One teen drives the car away while the other walks away from the scene.
Cleveland.com notes that the Hough Avenue incident was the first of two robberies the teens are accused of committing on that day. Less than three hours later, the pair allegedly stole a 2019 Hyundai Elantra from a parking garage at Cleveland State University, according to charges filed in the case. The car contained a book bag and a set of golf clubs valued at $1,000.
The second incident on the video took place nearby at the corner of Hough Avenue and East 89th Street on the afternoon of Nov. 3. At approximately 1:05 p.m., authorities say the 17-year-old was driving a stolen car and pulled up near two girls who were walking, ordering one of them to hand over a ski mask that she had.
When the girl refused, officials say the teen drove off the road and chased the girls into the intersection, narrowly missing striking one of them.
WHAT THE PROSECUTOR SAYS
3News reached out to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley for a reaction to the video.
"Sadly we see videos like this every day. Both of these punks have had prior cases and prior opportunities to turn their lives around. Judgment day is coming."
O'Malley says the 17-year-old is facing a mandatory bind over to adult court because of the nature of the charges. He is filing a "discretionary bind over" for the 14-year-old which will be decided by a juvenile court judge.
MAYOR BIBB'S FRUSTRATION
In the press release announcing the arrest of the teens last week, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb was quoted as saying he was "fed up" with the amount of opportunities that the 14-year-old has been given despite numerous instances of wrongdoing.
"The sheer havoc this individual is believed to have wreaked on our community is beyond alarming and more so frustrating when considering how many second chances he has been afforded. Instead of taking advantage of those opportunities he chose to continue his criminality," Bibb said in a statement. "Residents are fed up, businesses are fed up, and I am fed up. It is time that he be held fully accountable for the crimes he has committed and I’m hopeful the court system will do just that."
During an appearance at the Downtown Cleveland Inc. annual meeting on Wednesday, the mayor doubled down on his frustration.
"He had been arrested 25 times — 25 times," he said during a forum along with Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne. "So the men and women of our police department are working their tails off and this person gets arrested 25 times and is released. Because of good police work and good intelligence, we were able to get the arrest. That person was responsible for 50 break-ins."