CLEVELAND — Prosecutors say suspects in the carjacking of an Ohio State football coach are connected to multiple other robberies or attempted robberies, as the police report revealed new details about the tense moments on the Ginn Academy's campus earlier this week.
The OSU assistant was sitting in a rented Dodge Durango in the school's parking lot Monday afternoon. Per the Cleveland police report, a teenager approached the car in a black hoodie and a gray face mask, with the coach saying based on the weather and the person's age, he "thought it was a recruit coming over to speak with him, so he opened up the door."
It was only then that he realized the teen was holding a gun. The coach told authorities the boy demanded his keys, wallet, and phone but only left with the Dodge.
Officers tracked the victim's iPad — which was in the car — to a neighborhood near Parkwood Drive. They found it with a cracked screen on the ground, along with the coach's passport and suitcases.
While searching for the suspects, dispatch received a call for an attempted aggravated robbery on 103rd Street with same stolen Durango. While headed to the area to respond, dispatch got another call for another attempted robbery on Parkwood Drive, again with the same vehicle description.
The police helicopter ultimately tracked down the car, going fast and blowing through stops signs and traffic lights while at one point driving on the wrong side of the street. On Lakeview Road, the suspects jumped out, and officers chased them as they turned down Parklawn Drive.
Four suspects were arrested, including 15 and 17-year-old boys. The two 18-year-olds — a man and woman — appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court Wednesday morning.
"It's also alleged that this same defendant, along with her co-defendants, committed several other aggravated robberies shortly thereafter with the same Dodge Durango," the prosecution said in court.
An attorney with the public defender's office asked for a reasonable sentence, saying Anyrie Wallace and Ja Brian Howard came from stable homes and didn't have any prior convictions. But prosecutors pushed back, arguing Howard in particular was connected to a separate aggravated robbery last month.
"It's alleged that the defendant did approach a male who was in his automobile at an ATM taking his money out," the attorney said about Howard. "It's alleged that the defendant opened the door, brandished a handgun, and ordered the man to give him money.
"I would ask again for $500,000 cash bond in this matter as well, knowing that there's multiple cases coming and being investigated with this defendant."
The judge set Howard's bond at $250,000 for Monday's aggravated robbery and $400,000 for last month’s incident. Wallace's bond was set at $100,000.
Police said they also recovered a gun during the chase that had no serial number and appeared to be homemade.