NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — A Cleveland man is facing a litany of charges following an incident at a North Olmsted hotel on Wednesday.
Police initially received a call around 11:21 a.m. regarding a suspect — identified as 40-year-old Colin Larouere — accused of using fake information and credit cards to rent a room at the Radisson Inn on Country Club Boulevard. Authorities later discovered Larouere and a female companion were in possession of an allegedly stolen U-Haul truck, while Larouere also had a felony fraud warrant out for his arrest and was wanted for questioning by the Cleveland Division of Police in relation to an unspecified homicide case.
North Olmsted officers arrived around 1 p.m. and called Larouere by phone, but the suspect barricaded himself inside his hotel room and held the woman he was with at gunpoint. The remaining guests inside the Radisson were evacuated and a SWAT team was called to the scene, and after an hour they were able to get the woman out safely.
Nearly an hour after the woman was released, smoke began billowing from Larouere's room, causing fire crews to be on standby. Larouere surrendered minutes later, and firefighters subsequently extinguished a small blaze inside the room's bath tub and trash can.
Larouere was taken into custody while a semi-automatic handgun was found inside the room, according to police. No one was injured in the incident.
Authorities say Larouere is facing charges of kidnapping and aggravated arson, and a Cuyahoga County grand jury could potentially file additional charges against him. Court records show prior convictions for drug possession that led to a 60-day jail sentence.
