Accused Drug Trafficker Runs From Westlake Cops: Police

WESTLAKE, OH — A K9 officer and heavy snowfall helped catch an accused drug trafficker that ran from officers on Saturday, Westlake police said.

Police stopped a car on Detroit Road, at about 4 p.m. on Saturday, after officers saw an equipment violation. Police said they were also suspicious of the vehicle.

The driver, a 36-year-old Westlake woman, had a suspended license. There was also fictitious license plates on the woman's vehicle, police said.

A passenger in the car, a 40-year-old from Cleveland, was being elusive with officer, refusing to give them his name and only calling himself "Moroccan." As a dialogue between the man and a cop devolved into a debate, the man jumped out of the vehicle and took off running.

This wasn't a wise decision, police said. For one, there was snow covering the ground, making tracking the man easy. Second, there was a K9 officer on the scene, who helped track the man when he bolted.

The man only escaped police for approximately eight minutes, police noted. He was then taken into custody and police found suspected heroin on the man, according to Westlake officers.

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Police then searched the stopped car and found narcotic pills inside the vehicle. Both the driver and the accused runner are being charged with felony drug trafficking. The driver is also facing several traffic charges.

The Cleveland man is also facing charges for possession of drug, resisting arrest, and obstruction.

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