CLEVELAND — On Monday, Cleveland police arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection to dozens of recent crimes, including multiple car break-ins.
While investigating an Oct. 31 aggravated robbery that allegedly involved the boy, detectives located him in a recently stolen vehicle. When attempting to stop the vehicle, the driver refused and led officers on a pursuit, police said.
The vehicle was later found unoccupied in a Kenmore Avenue parking lot, and police believed that those in the vehicle had entered a nearby home. Police said that after obtaining consent to enter the home, detectives located the 14-year-old along with a 13-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy.
All three were taken into custody, and two firearms were recovered from the scene, police said.
The 14-year-old was arrested for aggravated robbery, receiving stolen property, carrying a concealed weapon, obstruction, along with fleeing and eluding, police said.
"At this moment, we believe that this one, the 14-year-old, is involved in ... a couple dozen of motor vehicle break-ins; we're still investigating to determine the exact amount," Cleveland police's public information officer, Freddy Diaz, said.
News 5 spoke with Diaz about the arrests on Wednesday:
The teen is allegedly connected to numerous recent crimes around the city, including stolen vehicles, other car break-ins and robberies. Police said he has been arrested multiple times in the past for similar crimes, all of which are being investigated, and charges are to come.
"The sheer havoc this individual is believed to have wreaked on our community is beyond alarming and more so frustrating when considering how many second chances he has been afforded. Instead of taking advantage of those opportunities he chose to continue his criminality,” Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said in a statement. “Residents are fed up, businesses are fed up, and I am fed up. It is time that he be held fully accountable for the crimes he has committed and I’m hopeful the court system will do just that.”
The 13-year-old was wanted on a previous warrant for felonious assault. However, in connection to the Nov. 11 incident, he was arrested for obstruction, failure to comply and weapons violations, police said.
The 17-year-old was arrested for aggravated robbery in connection to the Oct. 31 incident, police said.
The 14-year-old is also believed to be connected to at least 19 vehicle break-ins at Cleveland State University early Sunday morning.
RELATED: Thieves target more than 20 vehicles in 24 hours on CSU campus
Cleveland police are asking for any community member with video footage of car break-ins near Downtown East to East 55th Street between Oct. 1 and Nov. 12 to send them to jhoward@clevelandohio.gov. Police said it is believed the 14-year-old is responsible for other incidents.
“I continually say that the men and women of the Cleveland Division of Police work extremely hard to investigate crimes and, time and time again, make these great arrests,” Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said in a statement. “It is troubling to see juveniles bold enough to continue committing these violent crimes. I hope these arrests result in a visible change in their behavior and bring a sense of peace to our community who has been deeply impacted by these crimes.”
