WESTLAKE, Ohio — Two suspects are in custody after they allegedly stole a woman's car at gunpoint from a Taco Bell in Cleveland.
Westlake police said they were tipped off by Cleveland officers that they were pursuing a vehicle on I-90 West at approximately 2:15 a.m. Approximately four minutes later, Westlake Police Department received a call that a car matching the description made by Cleveland police had crashed into the median wall on the highway and two men were seen fleeing from the vehicle.
Officers from Rocky River, Westlake, Bay Village and Cleveland worked together to search the area for the suspects.
The suspects were eventually located walking on Gate House Lane in Rocky River and were taken into custody without incident.
In a press release, the Westlake Police Department released the following statement condemning the suspect's alleged crimes, but thanking them for following police orders during arrest:
"Crimes, especially offenses that immediately threaten the safety or life of another person, will not be tolerated by the Westlake PD. We will use every legal means to track down and apprehend those who commit these offenses whether the incident happened in our city or the offenders later flee to our jurisdiction (or our mutual aid partner jurisdiction as in this case).
"This includes using reasonable force to bring the suspect(s) into custody. In this case, when the suspects were located in a neighborhood of Rocky River by the Westlake officers, they listened to the lawful orders and complied with the apprehension. Listening to the officers kept everyone safe….the suspects, the officers and the general public.
"Now the suspects can answer to the charges in the court of law or fight them if they think they are innocent. While we strongly condemn the crimes these men are alleged to commit we thank them for listening to the officers who were charged with taking them into custody. Non-compliance in this dangerous encounter could have led to many tragic outcomes."
