CLEVELAND — Cleveland Police are investigating after a 57-year-old man who works for the city was shot at a Cleveland Public Works garage last week morning, according to sources.
As this story was developing, sources told News 5 that the suspected shooter was a city employee, but now those sources, as well as Cleveland Police, say that is not the case.
A representative from Laborers Local Union 860 told News 5 that the man who was shot was a street maintenance supervisor and a member of the union.
For Local 860 representative Bobby Mendel, it was an early morning call that was devastating.
“It was very tragic to hear that one of our members who woke up and went to work and something like this that tragically happened to him," Mendel said.
Cleveland police officers swarmed a city public works garage just before six on Thursday morning in the 2300 block of East 65th Street.
Sergeant Freddy Diaz says preliminary reports show the man was shot twice in the torso. As of Friday, he is in stable condition, according to police.
Not long after the shooting, police arrested a 39-year-old woman whom they identified in a press release hours later as Aisha Schwartz.
Schwartz has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated robbery and tampering with evidence.
A judge set her bond at $75,000 during an arraignment hearing Monday morning.
Court records show the suspect followed the victim to his workplace, got into the front passenger seat of his pickup truck, and took his loaded gun from the center console. Records stated Schwartz said, 'I'm going to kill you,' and fired three shots.
According to court records, the victim was hit in the right shoulder, and the bullet traveled to his esophagus.
Schwartz has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday, April 29.
“We know that this person was not a city employee, however, was in the area," said Diaz.
Police have released no information about any possible connection between the woman who was arrested and the man who was shot.
Diaz says police will look at any footage from cameras at the building.
Police appeared to focus their attention on a pickup truck in the garage.
A Jeep Compass was towed away.
Mendel says this shooting raises concerns about safety at city facilities.
“Unfortunately, it’s vulnerable everywhere, and so it’s sad," Mendel said.
The gate at the public works garage was wide open at one point when News 5 was there.
“Some have locked doors. Some do not. There’s really no security code or key cards activation to get into the parking lots," Mendel said.
Mendel says safety is something the union plans to bring up to the city administration.
“What can we do moving forward to try to not have these situations arise and have more safety for our members," Mendel said.
