NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — Some scoundrel took it upon themselves to dump garbage and pour paint and oil on a patio belonging to a North Olmsted resident, and thanks to tips from the public, they have identified him.
Police arrested the 33-year-old man from North Ridgeville late Wednesday afternoon. He's charged with two counts of criminal mischief and criminal damage. The misdemeanors could result in fines and jail time.
The woman, whose patio was damaged, did not want to appear on camera but said problems began Aug. 8, two days after she reported to Uber Eats that the person who delivered her food didn't match the account that was supposed to deliver her items.
She said the delivery was supposed to be made by a woman in a Corolla, but instead, it was made by a man driving a dark blue Audi.
Before the delivery, she said she received a text stating the guy was making the delivery to help his grandmother get better ratings so her account wouldn't be deactivated.
She said that on Aug. 8, trash was emptied onto her patio. The same thing happened on Aug. 11.
After the two incidents, the woman decided to buy a Ring camera and set it up in a discrete location. To her surprise, the person returned and, this time, was caught on camera tossing liquids and trash onto her patio. The police report states the liquids are believed to be oil and floor paint.
"Definitely was an incident that went too far," said North Olmsted Police Sgt. Matt Beck. "Gentleman got complained about from Uber, and he took it a little too personally and took matters into his own hands that were very, what I would call immature."
Police said the video footage released to the public brought in a tip which helped them identify the suspect.
"This is an excellent piece of evidence for law enforcement for us to not (only) determine who the suspects are, but also have successful prosecution." Sgt. Beck said.
The suspect is scheduled to be in court Sept. 5.
News 5 reporter Damon Maloney will have the latest updates this evening on News 5 at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
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