CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cleveland police are investigating two connected carjackings that occurred Monday night and into early Tuesday morning on the city's east and west sides.
The first incident happened around 10 p.m. near East 40th Street and St. Clair Avenue, where a 37-year-old man told police his vehicle was taken at gunpoint.
Then a couple of hours later, around 2 a.m., a woman reported the same thing at the 3100 block of Fulton Road.
Cleveland Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Freddy Diaz said investigators believe the same suspect is responsible for both carjackings.
"You know, technically two separate carjackings. However, they're the same. We believe the same suspect. So, we're treating this as one incident for the moment," Diaz said.
Investigators say the suspects used the vehicle stolen in the first carjacking to carry out the second. Through witness statements, the city's Real-Time Crime Center, and Flock cameras, officers were able to track both cars.
"Yeah, this individual obviously traversed the city as he's committing these two crimes, and we utilize our license plate readers to you know track them and locate them fairly quickly given the circumstances," Diaz said.
Officers located both stolen vehicles parked in the 500 block of East 112th Street. When officers approached, suspects ran away from one vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle drove toward officers, struck a police cruiser, and crashed into a telephone pole before also getting away.
Both stolen vehicles and a firearm were recovered from the scene, and no one was injured.
"So the both vehicles will be processed for evidence, you know, DNA, fingerprints, etc. as well as a firearm. We're going to process that to determine if you know if it's stolen or something to that nature," Diaz said.
The suspects remain at large. Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
"We want to be able to get these people off the street and get them identified. Someone out there knows something, and Crime Stoppers does offer that anonymous avenue," Patricia Meehan, Executive Director Crime Stoppers of Cuyahoga County.
Nadeen Abusada is a Cuyahoga County and immigration reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Instagram NadeenAbusada or email her at Nadeen.Abusada@wews.com.
