CLEVELAND, Ohio — Police linked one suspect to a deadly auto store shooting in Cleveland and a gas station robbery in Lakewood.
The 31-year-old man was pulled from the driver’s seat and handcuffed after a traffic stop in Akron early Monday morning, five hours after the deadly shooting, according to Cleveland police.
Police say a man was shot and killed around 3 p.m. Sunday at the AutoZone on Puritas at W. 149th Street. The victim was later identified as 61-year-old Adam Colon, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.
Watch previous coverage: Man shot and killed at Cleveland AutoZone
On Monday morning, the store was closed, and a district manager was meeting with staff.
A note on the door stated the store will reopen Tuesday.
“I think it’s concerning, obviously, that this individual was brazen enough to go to this store and commit this type of crime,” said Cleveland Police Sgt. Freddy Diaz.
Just hours before the shooting, Lakewood police believe the same man in similar clothing robbed the Speedway on Warren and Franklin just before nine in the morning.
"Wearing a pink mask and a camouflage jacket,” said Lakewood Police Capt. Frank Eschweiler.
Capt. Eschweiler said that while the store manager was working in the cooler, the store clerk went to the back to take food out of the oven.
“This male followed her in the back and actually put a gun in her hip and told her he wanted the money out of the register,” Capt. Eschweiler said.
Akron police released video of the suspect’s arrest.
Cleveland police say the arrest was made within five hours of the shooting with the help of Flock license plate readers and other cameras.
“He was already suspected of shooting this one individual, so we were concerned about their safety, and with the assistance of Akron police, we were able to track this individual in their city,” Sgt. Diaz said.
Lakewood police say they alerted Cleveland and surrounding agencies about the store robbery in which nearly $250 was taken, and now they’re comparing notes about the suspect.
“The clerk at our Speedway gave him exactly what he wanted; did whatever she did, which is a smart move, but you never know,” Capt. Eschweiler said.
“Our hearts go out to his family. If there’s any message to the family, our homicide detectives worked overnight to get to this point,” Sgt. Diaz said.
