STREETSBORO, Ohio — Three different Northeast Ohio cities are investigating recent carjackings on the same day.
Law enforcements are working to determine if the three separate incidents in Cuyahoga Falls, Streetsboro and Solon are related.
In a 911 call obtained by News 5 on Tuesday, a Streetsboro woman called dispatchers and said “They just tried to take my car. I’m down at Planet Fitness in Streetsboro.”
The emotion is high in the woman’s voice and Streetsboro Police Chief Tricia Wain said the victim was lucky.
“It’s a traumatic event. We’re very fortunate that things didn’t play out worse that day than they did,” she commented. “It’s horrible. I don’t want any of our residents to be concerned about this but, unfortunately, it’s just the nature of the world. It can happen anywhere, anytime.”
Police Chief Wain said it happened in the middle of the day, in a busy shopping plaza.
“On Tuesday at about ten to 1:00 p.m., we had a female resident driving to one of our local businesses and she noticed there was someone behind her but didn’t think much about it,” said Wain.
Wain said when she pulled into a parking spot, a dark SUV following her pulled up and three armed men got out, grabbed her keys and demanded her car.
“There was three black males with their face covered and they had guns,” screamed the woman to the 911 dispatcher.
Wain said after some back and forth between the victim and the men, they gave up and left without her car.
There were people in the area to witness it.
“It’s not your typical crime pattern, but it just shows how brazen that some of these criminals are getting and what they’re willing to do to take your property from you,” she said.
In Solon and Cuyahoga Falls, victims reported having their car tailed and bumped, when they got out of their cars they were robbed at gunpoint. The criminals got away with their cars in those two incidents.
Solon Police arrested and charged an 18-year-old man, Thomas Williams. He was charged with aggravated robbery, receiving stolen property, and having a weapon under disability. He is being held on $135,000 cash or surety bond.
Cuyahoga Falls Police Detective Bureau said in a press release Friday that they’ve identified a suspect and charges are pending, adding that the suspect is currently in jail.
Chief Wain said the department is still investigating.
“It’s likely that ours is related but at this point, we can’t say for sure,” said Wain.
She said with this type of crime on the rise, just remember:
If you think you’re being followed, call 911. If someone rear-ends you, try to pull off to your local police department or a busy and well lit area and if you’re getting robbed then just give up your items.
“You are way more important than your car or your purse or your cell phone. We would just recommend letting them go,” said Wain.
