CLEVELAND — A 19-year-old man wanted for allegedly attacking two women in the Cleveland Metroparks last year has been arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service.
The suspect, Shane Barker, 19, was arrested early Tuesday morning near Hyde Avenue and West 43rd Street after authorities located him and initiated a traffic stop.
Cleveland Municipal Court records state Barker is charged with one count of abduction, a third-degree felony and one count of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Barker allegedly assaulted a 61-year-old woman on a hiking trail in the Brookside Reservation near the Meadow Ridge Picnic Area on Oct. 20, 2019. A Cleveland Metroparks police report states that Barker allegedly approached the woman, grabbed her by the hair and told her, "do what I say if you want to get home safe."
Several days later, authorities said that he attacked a 41-year-old woman near the same area. According to a Cleveland Metroparks police report, Barker allegedly tried to grab the woman and drag her into the woods, but she overpowered him and he ran off.
“The Cleveland Metro Parks Police worked diligently to identify this violent suspect and as soon as he was identified the task force went to work to locate and arrest him. He is a danger to the safety of our community and the city of Cleveland is safer with him behind bars,” U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said.
