Ohio Murder, Carjacking Suspect Indicted

CLEVELAND, OH — William Jones has been indicted for a crime spree that started in Euclid, with the murder of Jared Plesec, a 21-year-old Salvation Army worker, and ended with a series of carjackings, assaults and a shooting in Lakewood.

“While all murders offend the peace and dignity of our community, this crime is especially cold-blooded and appears to be racially motivated,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley in a statement. “Our office is consulting with federal prosecutors to see if this homicide and subsequent crime spree qualify as hate crimes and/or civil rights crimes under the federal statutes.”

Jared Plesec, the killed 21-year-old, was reportedly wearing a Salvation Army uniform at the time of his death. He was volunteering at a senior living home when Jones reportedly walked up to him and shot him in the side of the head, O'Malley said. A Cleveland city councilman told Patch that Plesec was clutching a Bible when he was killed.

Jones, 27, then reportedly went on a crime spree. He attempted to rob two men in a car at gunpoint on E. 156th St., according to the indictment. The driver didn't stop and sped away and Jones fired three shots at the car.

Jones then allegedly robbed a woman on E.156th Street and stole her car. From there, he drove to the E. 72nd Marina and robbed a 53-year-old man, again at gunpoint, the indictment says. He then drove a stolen car into Lakewood.

As he sped through the Metroparks near the Lakewood and Rocky River border, a group of joggers yelled at him to slow down. Jones then reportedly stopped the car and fired his gun at the joggers. He hit a 36-year-old woman in the leg. O'Malley said the woman was seriously hurt.

Jones then reportedly attempted a fourth carjacking, near the exit of the Metroparks. He failed. His gun was now-empty, so he threw it into a field at the Metroparks, O'Malley said. The gun was later recovered by police.

Jones then found a pick-up truck, which had been left unoccupied, with keys in it, on Sloan Ave. in Lakewood. He drove the truck to the Marine Towers on Edgewater Dr., where he attacked a 56-year-old woman, the indictment says. He reportedly threw her to the ground and stole her car.

He then crashed the car through the closed garage doors at Marine Towers and then hit several cars on Edgewater Drive. He was then boxed in by Lakewood Police and surrendered.

"From Collinwood to Lakewood, that's 20 miles of a crime spree, it's incredible, on a Saturday morning. When they told me [what had happened], I was just in disbelief. I had to back off. I was so angry and outraged. This is so senseless. This wasn't an altercation. This was cold-blooded murder," said Cleveland City Councilman Michael D. Polensek, Ward 8. Polensek knew the murdered 21-year-old, Plesec, from their joint work with the Salvation Army.

Polensek went on to say that he wants the maximum punishment possible for Jones. He added, "The death penalty is too good for [Jones]."

Jones faces a 35-count indictment that includes charges of aggravated murder, murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault, burglary, vandalism, discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, grand theft and failure to comply.

Photo from Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office