ICYMI: Car Thief Eludes Police In Cleveland Heights Over Weekend

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Police were looking for a suspected car thief in the Lee Road and South Taylor Road area on Saturday night, Cleveland Heights Police Chief Annette Mecklenburg told Patch. The suspect managed to elude officers, including a K9 unit.

In a post on NextDoor, Mecklenburg explained that in the early evening a man had reportedly been riding in the passenger seat of a car when the driver ran into a restaurant to get food, the passenger then jumped into the driver's seat and took off in the car. The vehicle was located by police after it was involved in an accident at Lee Road and East Fairfax.

The suspect fled the scene. Officers setup a perimeter and deployed a K9 unit to search for the man. Reports of a police presence in the South Taylor-Lee Road area, near the Heights Library, was first reported at about 9:50 p.m. Posters on NextDoor said they saw eight to 10 police cruisers in the area.

Despite the search, the suspect could not be located, Mecklenburg said. However, the suspect has been identified and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Police did not say who the suspect was.

No one was injured during the incident.

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