Man Found In Bushes Arrested For Car Break-Ins In Westlake

WESTLAKE, OH — A man hiding in some bushes was arrested after items stolen from cars parked in Bay Village and Westlake were found in a suspicious vehicle searched by police.

At 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, a Settlers Reserve Way resident heard his car alarm sound and then saw a man wearing a hoodie walking away from his yard. He suspected the man had tried to break into his car and called 911.

Officers searched the area and found the man hiding in some bushes nearby. The man told police he was hiding from his girlfriend after a fight. The man could not explain why he was in the neighborhood. He was slurring his words and also could not tell police why he thought uniformed officers were his girlfriend.

The man also described the vehicle his girlfriend was in, since she wasn't with him.

Police arrested the man for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and then continued investigating. A nearby officer spotted a running car parked in a driveway around the corner on Sperrys Forge Trail. It was the same vehicle described by the arrested man.

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Officers spoke with the driver of the car and she confirmed she was with the man found in the bushes. The woman could not explain why she was parked in a stranger's driveway.

Police field tested her and then arrested her for physical control of the car. Officers found pills, a purse, and other items from car break-ins that happened in Bay Village and Westlake.

The couple were both charged with felony receiving stolen property, along with several criminal misdemeanors. The stolen merchandise will be returned to its rightful owners, police said.

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