A 29-year-old man from Newburgh Heights has been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting on I-77, according to Cuyahoga Heights police.
According to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's website, 58-year-old David Perez was found dead inside the vehicle.
His 59-year-old wife was also injured in the shooting and was transported to MetroHealth Hospital. She has since been released.
Police are still trying to figure out what caused the suspected shooter to fire into a truck on the highway, killing Perez.
Newburgh Heights Police Chief John T. Majoy said the suspected shooter is the next-door neighbor of Perez’s neighbor. But he said there doesn’t appear to have been a neighbor or property dispute.
Majoy said they have had dealings with the suspect before including one incident within the last 30 days.
“We served him with a probate order in the not-so-distant past, where he was taken to St. Vincent for an evaluation, but he wasn’t held,” explained Majoy.
“We were there with mobile crisis before because the family was concerned about his well-being, every time we’ve dealt with him, he’s been polite, cooperative, never combative,” he added.
Police located the suspect and took him into custody in Bratenahl near the I-90 westbound exit to St. Clair Avenue. He is being held in Strongsville. The car the man was in was towed.
News 5's overnight newstracker saw investigators from the Cuyahoga Heights Police Department and BCI gathering evidence.
The suspect is in custody. Below is some video of the scene. I could see at least 5 or 6 bullet holes in the pickup truck driver window. BCI had two scenes one at the 77 split to 480 and another near the railroad bridge a mile north of the main scene. Working on more info. 1/2 https://t.co/gFDK3yZ0d2 pic.twitter.com/irBqOfWfGA
— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) April 29, 2024
Several bullet holes could be seen inside a pickup truck's driver-side door and window.
The events leading up to the shooting are unknown at this time.
