Apple Care Phone Scam, A 5th OVI Arrest: Westlake Police Blotter

WESTLAKE, OHIO – A Westlake resident was the victim of a phone scam this week in which the caller identified themselves as an Apple Care representative and told the victim that their phone had been compromised in Russia and China and that work needed to be completed to address the issue, police said.

The victim, police said in a news release, was convinced by the caller to purchase gift cards in order for the caller to have access to the victim’s phone. The victim then recognized that the call was a scam but not before paying $500 for the gift card.

In other Westlake Police Department activity this week:

• On 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, Westlake police officers were called to a residence on Meadow Lane where residents at the home reported a burglary. In addition to finding a purse missing, the victims also discovered that their Honda Accord had been stolen, police said. There were no signs of forced entry after the victims found first-floor windows and screens to be open. Detectives later found paperwork belonging to the victims scattered across the yard of a house in East Cleveland. As part of their investigation, detectives found the Honda occupied on the street A 19-year-old East Cleveland female was charged with receiving stolen property and was taken into custody. She was arraigned in Rocky River Municipal Court and her case was bound over to a Cuyahoga County grand jury. Investigators are working to determined others who were involved in the burglary, police said.

• A 54-year-old Cleveland man was arrested after testing more than 3 ½ times the legal limit in what police said was his fifth offense of operating a vehicle impaired (OVI) on Thursday. According to police, officers responded to a two-car accident at the intersection of Columbia and Detroit roads at 7:45 p.m. Thursday night. While investigating the crash, police said a driver who was not involved in the accident approached the scene and began yelling at officers. Officers determined the man wanted to help in the assistance of the crash, but said his speech was slurred and was not making sense. The man become uncooperative when officers began to investigate whether he had too much to drink. The man was field tested and arrested on the OVI offense, police said.

• A 40-year-old Loraine resident was arrested on Thursday after being pulled over for a traffic violation in the parking lot of the Super 8 motel on Sperry Drive. Police indicated there was evidence of drug activity and police officers located a semi-automatic weapon in the car as well as loaded magazines for several other weapons. The gun and ammunition along with what was believed to be marijuana and other drug paraphernalia was confiscated and the suspect will appear before a Cuyahoga County grand jury.

All suspects are assumed innocent until proven guilty.