SMASH & GRAB SUSPECT NABBED

Elyria – As a would be thief lurked around cars in the Applebee’s parking lot he found what he thought would be a sure score – a woman’s purse on the floor of a minivan. The man would have scored had it not been for a woman in a second floor office window.

Renetta Hubbard was working in her Heritage Home Healthcare office on the second floor of the First Merit Bank building above the Applebee’s restaurant when she spotted a suspicious man lurking about. “I happened to see him and then I peeked through the blind and he bent down, then he came up and then he bent down again. He kept looking around and then he just pushed the passenger side door window in – he busted it.”

Hubbard said that the man then jumped into the van through the window – leaving half of his body outside of the van. He quickly emerged with a woman’s purse, stuck it up inside of his jacket and began walking away. Thinking that nobody had seen him the man did not run – he just nonchalantly walked towards West River.

Hubbard said she tried to reach 9-1-1 on both her cell phone and office phone – neither worked. “When I couldn’t reach them I ran downstairs to the restaurant, I knew I had to tell someone quickly.” Hubbard informed the manager of Applebee’s who immediately contacted the Police and with Hubbard’s help gave a full description of the suspect and direction of travel. The manager also notified the waitress who owned the van.

Quick actions of several Elyria Police searching the area turned up the suspect across the street in a lawyer’s parking lot – the man still had the purse stuffed in his jacket.

Police took the man into custody and returned him to the scene of the crime where Hubbard and the waitress stood inside the foyer. Police pulled the cruiser up near the door so Hubbard could see the suspect and make a positive ID – which she did.

Hubbard was informed that the waitress was so grateful for what she had done that she offered to buy her dinner anywhere she would like – Hubbard said that the offer was sweet but not necessary. “I did what I thought was the right thing to do – I would do it again in a minute.”

The suspect in this case, Ricky L. Frazier of Elyria, has been charged with Theft (F-5), Possession of Criminal Tools (M-1) and Criminal Damage (M-2).

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