Scammers Jam Phone Line; Razor Blades Found: Police Blotter

A trucking company on Foltz Parkway asked for help Jan. 9 after getting phone calls from India for three straight hours.

The callers refused to hang up, and when the company hung up, they'd call right back -- to the point the company could not make or receive any other calls.

The con artists insisted one of the drivers owed money to Cash Advance of America. A report said part of the scam involves badgering people until they send the money.

Similar payday loan scams have been reported in Strongsville and elsewhere in recent months.

The company said it would try to get the number blocked.

Suspicious Situation

An employee at Pearl Crossing found three razor blades -- and muddy footprints -- in different parts of the building Jan. 8.

A report said he found one blade on a table in a common area, one on a counter in his office and one on the floor in his office.

There were also muddy footprints in the office.

Nothing was stolen or tampered with, and no one saw anyone suspicious in the building that evening.

Scary Situation

A woman asked police to check on her friend Jan. 10 after she left a phone call to answer the door, then screamed.

The caller said her friend, who lives on Sun Crest Court, went to answer the doorbell while they were talking. Over the phone, she heard a man's voice, then her friend screamed "stop it."

She may have been yelling at the dog, the friend said. But she called back and got no answer.

Police checked and found the woman was fine. She had been talking with her landscaper.

Man Walking with Bag

A witness asked police to check on a man walking down Pearl Road about 2:30 p.m. Jan. 8, carrying a white shopping bag.

He walked into the woods at one point, set down the bag and walked away, then returned a few minutes later to retrieve it.

Police saw the man, but did not stop him because he wasn't doing anything wrong, and because it appeared the bag only contained clothes.