ELYRIA, Ohio -- Detectives from the Elyria Police Narcotics unit arrested Alysia Mericle, at her home on High Street about 11 a.m. Monday following a prostitution investigation.
She was charged with promoting prostitution, possession of controlled substances, endangering children, soliciting prostitution and drug paraphernalia.
It began about 10 a.m. that day when an undercover detective made contact with her via cell phone to set up sexual contact for hire. Police say Mericle posted herself as an online escort and utilized the screen name "Cherry" on backpage.com.
The undercover detective went to the home and met with Mericle in person and paid her an undisclosed amount of pre-photocopied police buy money in exchange for explicit sexual conduct.
The buy was recorded by Sgt. Welsh who was in the 600 block of High St. monitoring the conversation between the undercover agent and Mericle. After a brief conversation, the undercover agent paid Mericle the money and Sgt. Welsh advised the arrest team to move in and make the arrest on Mericle.
Detectives approached the front door and Det. Straub identified himself . Mericle looked at Det. Straub and three other detectives standing next to him and replied, "Oh, hell no!" Mericle slammed the door in the face of the detectives and locked it from inside.
The undercover detective was still inside the home. Sgt. Welsh feared for the safety of the detective and advised Det. Davidson to breech the front door using the police battering ram.
Mericle was arrested moments later without incident.
Police say Mericle admitted that she utilized backpage.com and her home to facilitate sexual activity for hire and that she abused cocaine and prescription drugs. Mericle also gave verbal and written consent to the Elyria Police to search her home.
During the search, police said detectives located a crack pipe in the nightstand drawer and a written ledger regarding Alysia Mericle's prostitution business also in the same nightstand drawer that was located in Mericle's master bedroom.
Mericle lived there with her three-year-old daughter and two other adults.
Mericle was taken to the Lorain County Jail on a $75,000.00 cash bond per Judge Gary Bennett.
