WESTLAKE, Ohio — What started out as a loud music complaint in Westlake ended with two adults behind bars and a 13-year-old girl at the center of a police investigation.
According to Westlake Police, officers responded to the 29000 block of Center Ridge Road on June 21 after neighbors reported loud music and the smell of marijuana coming from a red Ford Focus.
When officers located the car, they discovered the driver was a 13-year-old girl from Cleveland.
Police said the vehicle smelled of marijuana.
During their investigation, officers spotted a semi-automatic pistol magazine in the passenger-side door and later found a loaded handgun underneath a seat.
“It’s just a dangerous situation to allow this 13-year-old to drive the car, especially when you have drugs and guns involved,” said Westlake Police Captain Jerry Vogel.
Body camera video shows officers questioning the young driver after learning her age.
Investigators said the girl’s 24-year-old guardian told officers she had driven the group to the condo complex before going inside to meet someone.
While she was inside, police said the 13-year-old and a 19-year-old passenger drove the vehicle around the parking lot.
Police said both adults admitted they knew the loaded gun was inside the car, although investigators said their accounts of what happened did not match.
“When you mix in marijuana and a loaded firearm in the vehicle, it causes us alarm and creates a very dangerous situation for the public,” Vogel said.
The 24-year-old guardian and the 19-year-old passenger were both arrested.
They each face charges of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and endangering children.
The 13-year-old was released to a family member after being taken to the police station.
