Missing Baby Shoe Helps Police Catch Fleeing Suspect In Solon

SOLON, OH — A missing baby shoe helped police catch a man that led police on a high speed car chase through Solon on Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, at about 2:45 p.m., a Solon police officer spotted a car with improper license plates. The officer tried to stop the car by putting on his lights and siren. The car ignored the sirens and sped off.

The officer gave chase and the pursuit went east onto SR 306 and then onto US 422 west. As officers pursued the car other Solon police deployed stop sticks between the Liberty Road overpass and SOM Center Road.

The fleeing car tried to avoid the stop sticks, spinning out onto a median, hitting a sign and guardrail. As officers approached the stopped car, the driver threw his vehicle back into drive and went over the grassy median, between two bridges, and down a concrete embankment, before landing on SOM Center. He then drove south on SOM Center, evading police and escaping.

Officers were then told there may be a 9-month-old child in the car.

The fleeing car was found a short while later behind a business on Solon Road, abandoned. Inside the car was a single baby shoe.

Officers then spotted a man holding a child and standing at the intersection of Davis Industrial and Solon Road. The child was missing one shoe. The shoe the child was wearing matched the one found in the abandoned car.

The man holding the child was taken into custody. A 24-year-old Cleveland man was taken to Solon Correction Center. He has been charged with fleeing and eluding, endangering children and improper license plates.

The child was given to its mother when she arrived at the police station.