Brecksville Police Blotter: New Homeowner Finds Gun in Backyard and Some Traffic Stops Lead to Other Charges

The following incidents were reported by the from Sept. 12 to Sept. 15. The information was compiled by police reports.

An unsafe vehicle leads to paraphernalia charges
At 9:03 p.m. on Sept. 15, an officer pulled over a vehicle with a cracked windshield and taillight and no rear lights on Interstate 77. The driver, a 44-year-old Wadsworth man, couldn’t provide any ID, and when the officer ran his information through the system, he learned that the man’s license was suspended.

When the officer came back to have him step out of the vehicle, the man was trying to push a gray object under his seat. It turned out to be a digital scale. The officer also found a marijuana cigarette and some rolling papers in the car. The man was charged with driving under suspension and paraphernalia possession. He was also charged with not having rear illumination and having an unsafe vehicle.

Woman finds gun at new home
A Brecksville woman found a handgun in the woods behind her new home on Sherwood Trail on Sept. 13. The woman had been picking up trash in the ravine in the back of her recently purchased home when she found the gun in a plastic bag. Police examined the gun, which was covered in mud and rust. Two of the cylinders appeared to be empty, but the report notes that part of the inside of the gun could not be observed, so it could not be determined if it was completely empty. The gun was sent to the Bureau of Criminal Identification to examine.

Driver denies there’s marijuana in the car, but officers can see it through the windows
An officer pulled a car over for speeding on Interstate 77 at 8:56 p.m. on Sept. 12. The officer could see some empty cigarette packs and what looked like loose marijuana on the passenger seat and flood board after stepping up to the car. The officer also smelled marijuana.

The driver, a 24-year-old Seven Hills man, told the officer that he was late to a hockey game. At first, he told the officer he had smoked marijuana in the car in the past, but didn’t have anything on him. He later handed over a pipe, saying he didn’t think there was anything else in the car. Officers then found a cigarette pack with marijuana in it. They also found a baby food jar and two small bags with marijuana residue in them, and loose marijuana on the seats, the floor and in the armrest. The driver was charged with speeding, with possession of drug paraphernalia and with possession of marijuana.

For questions about this blotter, email Rachel.Abbey@patch.com.