West Side Cleveland Robberies Targeting School Kids

CLEVELAND, OH — Police are investigating a pair of kidnapping and robbery incidents that happened on the near west side of Cleveland, within two weeks of each other. The Second District Detective Bureau said in a blog post that it is not yet clear if the two crimes are connected.

"Parents are asked to be mindful of their child’s path of travel to school. Kids should be advised to travel lit roads when walking and not to take shortcuts through yards, etc," Cleveland Police said in a blog post. "Young children should be accompanied by an adult or older children. Children walking to school should travel in groups or pairs whenever feasible."

The first incident happened Feb. 1. An 18-year-old was walking in the area of W. 67th and Clark Ave. at about 7 a.m. That's when someone grabbed him, punched him and dragged the boy down a street while threatening him with a knife.

The teenager struggled against his attacker and was able to break free and run for it.

Then, on Feb. 13, at about 6:30 a.m., a 12-year-old boy walking in the area of W. 39th and Denison Ave. was grabbed by a man and taken to an abandoned home. The man attempted to rob the child, but the 12-year-old was carrying nothing but school supplies.

The child was again able to break free from the man and make a run for it.

The suspect in both crimes was described similarly, police said. Anyone with information regarding this matter has been asked to call detectives at 216-623-5218. All criminal activity should still be reported to 911.

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