Crime

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AKRON -- A 24-year-old Akron man will serve two years in prison and faces deportation after he was convicted of beating and trying to strangle a woman who refused to give him money.

Summit County Judge Paul Gallagher sentenced Lucas Perezlarios on Monday. Perezlarios was found guilty after an August jury trial on charges of felonious assault and domestic violence.

Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said on March 13, Perezlarios kicked and punched an Akron woman because she refused to give him money.

He attempted to strangle the woman until she lost consciousness twice and held a knife to her throat.

The victim had strangulation marks on her neck and bruises on her body.

Prosecutors said Perezlarios, who is from Guatemala, will be referred for deportation after the sentence is completed.

CLEVELAND -- A veteran EMS paramedic was arrested Monday after being accused of fondling two patients in an ambulance, police said.

Police have not filed charges against Glenn Burks, 44, but expect to present the case to prosecutors this week.

He is being held in the Cleveland City Jail.

Police took swabs from inside Burks' cheek in an attempt to match him to DNA samples taken from two male patients who accused Banks of rape and gross sexual imposition, according to a search warrant in the case.

Burks was suspended without pay after being arrested, Safety Director Martin Flask said. Stephen Palek, head of the Emergency Medical Services union, urged people to not pass judgment until the case works its way through the courts.

Continue reading "Cleveland paramedic arrested" »

AKRON -- A 19-year-old Cuyahoga Falls man pleaded guilty Monday in Summit County Common Pleas Court for forcing his pit bull to attack his neighbor and the neighbor's girlfriend last year.

Jacob Vigansky was convicted of aggravated assault, which is a fourth-degree felony, and aggravated menacing, a first-degree misdemeanor.

On Oct. 20, Vigansky was angry with a neighbor who had asked him to keep the noise down at 1:30 a.m., according to Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh's office. Vigansky, who prosecutors said was intoxicated, then dragged his pit bull, Princess, across the street to the neighbor's house.

Vigansky held the dog up on her hind legs, shook the dog until she became agitated and told the dog to get the neighbor and the neighbor's girlfriend. Vigansky released her from his grip and she attacked both of them, according to prosecutors.

The victims required medical treatment after the attack, according to the prosecutor's office.

Vigansky is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12.

AKRON -- A 19-year-old Cuyahoga Falls man pleaded guilty Monday to forcing his pit bull to attack his neighbor and girlfriend last year.

Jacob Vigansky was convicted of aggravated assault and aggravated menacing charges.

On Oct. 20, Vigansky was angry with his neighbor who asked him to keep the noise down at 1:30 a.m. Vigansky then dragged his pit bull, Princess, from inside his house across the street to the neighbor's house. Vigansky held the dog up on her hind legs, shook the dog until she became agitated and told the dog to sic the neighbor and the neighbor's girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Vigansky released her from his grip and she attacked both of them, according to prosecutors. The victims required medical treatment after the attack.

Vigansky is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov 12.

CLEVELAND -- A federal judge Monday refused to dismiss a lawsuit against two Cleveland police detectives who fatally shot 15-year-old Brandon McCloud in his bedroom in 2005.

U.S. District Judge Kate O'Malley said in a 54-page ruling that there was enough evidence that if the case were taken to trial, a jury could find the officers used excessive force when they shot McCloud 10 times. In the ruling, she questioned the threat McCloud posed to detectives Philip Habeeb and John Kraynik.

O'Malley said McCloud was not charging the officers, as a mattress separated him from them, and he wasn't waving the knife he held in his right hand in a threatening manner.

"The evidence plausibly suggests that McCloud was merely complying with the detectives' instructions," the judge wrote.

Continue reading "Lawsuit against two Cleveland cops can go forward, judge rules" »

CLEVELAND -- Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor David Zimmerman held up the .44-caliber revolver that killed Patrolman Derek Owens and implored jurors to convict Lamidi Kafaru in the slaying.

The murder weapon, Zimmerman exclaimed in his closing argument to the jury, was found hidden in the 19-year-old defendant's house and multiple witnesses testified that they saw Kafaru being chased by police before the shooting in late February. Owens' partner, Patrolman Robert Goines identified Kafaru as the killer, Zimmerman reminded jurors.

But Kafaru's lawyers, Michael Cheselka and Harvey Bruner, restated their case that Kafaru was set up to take the blame for the homicide. They maintain that their client was an outsider in his neighborhood and was duped into buying the murder weapon the day after the shooting.

The Common Pleas jury will begin its deliberations this afternoon and will be sequestered until members reach a decision.

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Continue reading "Lawyers deliver closing arguments in policeman-murder trial" »

CLEVELAND -- Marshals and Cleveland police are looking for 47-year-old Shirl Reeds, who is wanted on a charge of aggravated assault with a weapon.

Police say she fought with someone Aug. 1 in the 4140 block of East 99th Street. She used a box cutter to slash the victim numerous times, Deputy Marshal Brian Koerbel said.

Reeds' criminal history includes felonious assault, receiving stolen property, carrying a concealed weapon, drug possession and probation violations.

Reeds is 5 feet 5 and 180 pounds. She has used aliases Shirl Franklin, Denise Reeds and Shirley Reed. She frequented Cleveland's East Side, especially near East 105th Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Anyone with information is asked to call 866-4WANTED. Reward money is available.

CLEVELAND -- There will be a candlelight vigil today for 13-year-old Reginald Dudley.

Peace in the Hood and the Task Force for Community Mobilization are inviting the public to join them and Reginald's friends and family.

The vigil will begin at 5:45 p.m. at 10927 Avon Ave., where Reginald was shot in his bedroom.

His 18-year-old cousin was arrested.