Teen That Beat, Robbed Cleveland's Elderly Sentenced To 27 Years

CLEVELAND — Eddie Burns, the 17-year-old that carried out six robberies between August 2017 and February 2018, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison. The robberies took place in Solon and Cleveland.

“The defendant specifically targeted the elderly and victims who could not fight back. The level of violence he demonstrated is rarely seen in this community,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “He had numerous opportunities to change his behavior and never did so. Twenty-seven years is a fitting sentence.”

The first of Burns' six robberies happened Aug. 10, 2017. He went to a Cleveland convenience store, punched a 77-year-old man in the face, robbed him of cash, and then took off running. He came back that same night and became disruptive. Staff at the store recognized him and called police.

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Burns was apprehended at the store but didn't show up for a scheduled court date at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.

Months later, on Nov. 13, 2017, Burns and another man broke into an 87-year-old man's house near St. Clair Avenue and E. 99th Street. Burns attacked the man, punching him repeatedly in the face, body, and head.

Burns and his companion then tied the elderly man to a chair with duct tape and stole his credit cards and household appliances before leaving the home, according to the county prosecutor.

The elderly man got himself free the following morning, but suffered several injuries including bleeding on the brain and major bruising on his face and back. The 87-year-old had to spend two weeks in the hospital and two more weeks in rehabilitation.

On Dec. 28, 2017, Burns was one of three men that robbed a news reporter and cameraman in Cleveland. The two news people were inside their van when they were attacked. Burns and the other two men threw open the van doors, pointed a gun at the cameraman and demanded their phones.

After the new year, Burns and another teenager robbed a cable worker who was doing an installation job near St. Clair Avenue and E. 101st Street. They stole the worker's tablet, spectrum meter, cell phone, and wallet. They pointed a gun at the worker and demanded his ATM pin before leaving the scene, the prosecutor's office said.

A few weeks later, on Jan. 21, Burns and three other men robbed an Amazon delivery driver in Solon, on Longview Drive and Arthur Road. The delivery man was on the side of the road when the group of four pulled up behind him in a pair of cars, Solon Police said. One of the men got out, pointed a gun at the driver, and stole his belongings and his van. There were approximately 65 packages inside.

Burns' next crime happened in Cleveland, again in the St. Clair Avenue area. On Feb. 7, 2018, Burns grabbed a 76-year-old woman's purse, pushed her to the ground, grabbed her walking cane, and beat her with the cane.

The woman's 81-year-old husband noticed the attack, ran outside, and threw himself over his wife to protect her from the blows from the cane. Burns hit the man repeatedly in the head and body and then stomped on the 81-year-old.

Burns fled the scene but returned moments later to get the woman's pin number. He again beat the woman and threatened to kill her if she did not give him an accurate ATM pin number.

The 76-year-old suffered substantial face swelling and cuts that required multiple stitches after the attack. The woman's husband had eight facial fractures and was hospitalized for several days. He died a few weeks later, but his death was the result of natural causes, according to a ruling by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office.

Solon Police and Cleveland Polcie worked together to identify and then arrest Burns. He was bound over from Juvenile Court in October 2018. On March 14, 2019, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, robbery, and receiving stolen property.