RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Ohio — An hours-long search for a man suspected of killing a woman in Richmond Heights is over after Mayfield Heights Police said he was found dead from an "an apparent self-inflicted gunshot” wound early Wednesday morning.
Officers from several departments along with U.S. Marshals were searching on the ground and from the air for the man believed to be the suspect in a homicide near the 444 Park Apartments on Richmond Park East.
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the woman as 25-year-old Mariah Sanders of Euclid. The suspect's name hasn't been released.
Richmond Heights Police told News 5 the suspect and Sanders knew each other. We spoke to Phil Lewis, who said he had witnessed the shooting.
“He followed her down the road, down the road. In front of the building, then that's when a friend of mine said he got a gun, but before I can really adjust, he just shot her multiple times,” Lewis said. “It's unfortunate that I witnessed something so tragic. Prayers out to the family because it was something that I've never seen before in my life and I, yeah I saw it.”
A baby was also found near Sanders. She was uninjured and is now in the care of her grandmother.
Early Wednesday morning, Mayfield Heights Police posted an alert on Facebook stating they were checking several areas in the city for the suspect and urging residents to stay indoors.
That led police to Mayfield Heights City Park where they found the suspect. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.
“Our prayers definitely go out to the family of this young lady, you know, things like this shouldn't happen but unfortunately they do,” said Richmond Heights Police Chief Calvin Williams.
