PIZZA SHOP OWNER JUMPED

The owner of Mater Pizza on Cleveland Street in Elyria was jumped early Sunday morning while leaving his store. Joe Monteleone said he had just locked up his store around 12:30 a.m. and was walking to his truck that he parks near Cleveland Street. “I was opening my door when a Hispanic male walked up to me and asked where I was going. I told him that I was heading to Sunoco and he asked for a ride, I told him no and he asked me again and I told him no again.” Monteleone said he could see the man getting angry then the man grabbed at him getting the keys out of his hands. Monteleone began running west on Cleveland Street with the man in toe. A short time later he looked back and the man was no longer behind him. He went to a friend’s house on Harwood Street where he called the Police. Officers arrived at the store but could not locate the man and no damage was done to the truck or the store.

Monteleone said that fortunately he had two sets of keys on him, the set that he still had was to his truck. Monteleone believes he has seen the man in the neighborhood before but says the man has never been inside of his pizza shop.

Elyria Locksmith was able to get Monteleone back into his shop and created a new set of keys for him.