CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the Cleveland, East Cleveland, Willoughby, Brooklyn, South Euclid, Euclid and the Cleveland Heights police departments, are seeking the public's help in identifying four individuals believed to be involved in nine known carjackings in Northeast Ohio.
Since the pictures of the suspects were released the FBI has received some tips but so far none have lead to the suspects according to FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson.
Authorities said the nine carjackings took place between April 28 and May 16. Eight of the carjackings took place within 4 days, Anderson said.
"One of they carjacked had two weapons in it. So, we know they have two added weapons in addition to what they had. We're very concerned," said Anderson.
The four individuals, believed to be males in their late teens or early 20s, are believed to use a previously stolen vehicle to conduct each subsequent carjacking, according to police.
During the carjackings, police said victims have been thrown on the ground, had guns pointed at their face and one victim was shot.
On April 28 around 3 p.m., a carjacking was reported in Cleveland, near the area of West 117th Street and Bellaire Road. On May 12 around 11:30 a.m., a 2013 Honda Civic was stolen in an aggravated robbery in East Cleveland. Several hours later, around 1:45 a.m., a victim in the area of Triskett and West 127th Street had a gun pointed in their face and a 2020 Toyota was stolen.
Early Friday morning, around 12:10 a.m., a vehicle believed to have been taken in a previous carjacking was used to bump another vehicle from behind in Willoughby. When the driver exited the vehicle to check for damage, she had a gun pointed at her face while another individual placed her in a "bear hug" before taking a 2017 Toyota Rav4 and all its contents, police said.
Later in the morning on Friday, around 11:33 a.m., two women were approached while entering their vehicle after shopping in Brooklyn. One of the women was grabbed by her hair and thrown to the ground and observed a gun. A white Dodge Durango was then stolen.
Friday night, between 11 p.m. and midnight, a Hyundai Sonata was reported stolen out of Euclid. The Sonata had two guns inside that have not been recovered, according to police.
On Saturday around 2:30 a.m., another vehicle was stolen in Euclid. The victim resisted demands for the vehicle and during the incident was shot in the leg. The victim remains in critical condition, police said. Shortly after that incident, a vehicle was stolen in Cleveland Heights. During the theft, an off-duty police officer was shot at by the individuals stealing the vehicle, but did not suffer any injuries.
The latest incident occurred early Sunday morning, around 2:25 a.m., when an attempted carjacking was reported in Willoughby in a hotel parking lot with gunshots reported. Four males and a female were observed during the incident and all five fled in a gray sedan, police said.
"These guys have the weapons and they're willing to use them. We consider them armed and dangerous," said Anderson.
Authorities have recovered four of the reported stolen vehicles in East Cleveland.
The photos provided by authorities believed to be the individuals responsible for the carjackings were taken in a local convenient mart.
Anyone with information regarding any of the incidents and/or the identities of the individuals pictured is asked to call law enforcement immediately.
The FBI can be contacted at 1-877-FBI-OHIO. Tips can remain anonymous. Reward money is available for information leading to the successful identification and prosecution of the individuals responsible.
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