Teens Indicted For Carjacking In Shaker Square

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH — Two Cleveland teenagers have been indicted in federal court for allegedly carjacking people in Shaker Square, Ohio City, and Tremont during an April crime spree. The pair reportedly used one of their stolen vehicles to then rob a gun store in Streetsboro, the Department of Justice said Wednesday.

“These defendants pointed loaded guns at everyday people in our community and stole their cars, then used at least one of those stolen cars to drive to Portage County and hold up a gun store,” U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said. “Our community is safer with these predators behind bars. This case is also another demonstration of working with local police and prosecutors to target the worst of the worst.”

Zyshonne Austin and Ja'Quez Lyons went on their alleged crime spree in April. They were helped by another Cleveland teen, James Luke, 18, during their gun store robbery, the DOJ said.

The carjackings started April 14. As a man was getting out of his red Volkswagen Passat on Larchmere Avenue someone came at him with a gun and demanded his car. Another man was acting as a lookout, court documents said. The man handed over his keys and the suspects drove off.

A day later, on April 15, Austin, Lyons, and Luke reportedly stole 10 guns from Top Shot Firearms in Streetsboro. They allegedly smashed a glass display case and stole the weapons. Blood was found at the scene, court documents said.

Two days after the first carjacking, Cleveland Police were called to E. 123rd Street for gunshots. The suspects were already gone, but officers found the Passat, and inside the car there were price tags and stolen firearms. Some of the weapons had blood on them. There was also a rag with suspected blood on it, a hammer and a receipt from a Cleveland McDonald's.

On April 21, police chased a stolen Toyota IA near Kinsman Avenue. The driver crashed the car. The driver was Austin and he was subsequently arrested. He had allegedly attempted to carjack someone in Ohio City. Officers found one of the stolen firearms in his possession.

Austin had cuts on his hands, court documents said. DNA tests would later show that Austin's blood matched the blood on the price tags of the stolen guns and blood found on the hammer in the stolen Passat.

Lyons was arrested on May 7 after he used a gun to steal a Lincoln MKC. Police searched the teenager's phone and found Austin was listed in the contacts. Investigators also found that Lyons had searched for gun stores in Northeast Ohio, including Top Shot Firearms in Streetsboro, court documents said.

There were numerous text exchanges between Austin and Lyons talking about robbing the gun store, according to court documents. Most of the exchanges were from around the time of the robbery.

Investigators also found pictures Austin sent of himself, and others, with the stolen guns in front of the stolen Volkswagen Passat, court documents said.

Investigation into the crime spree continues, law enforcement said.

“Taking violent, armed and dangerous offenders off of our streets is a service to our communities,” said Chief Calvin D. Williams of the Cleveland Division of Police. “I am always thankful for the strong law enforcement partnerships we have here in Northeast Ohio.”

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