Strongsville Police Blotter: Con Artists Use 4-Year-Old in Their Scam

Residents on Heritage Trail fell victim to a scam May 3 when they let a child use their bathroom.

A report said a couple with a 4-year-old girl came to their door about 8:45 p.m., said their car had broken down and asked if the child could use their bathroom.

After they left, the residents noticed several items missing from their home.

Police located the trio about an hour later and arrested the adults, a Berea man and a woman from Cleveland.

The child was picked up by her grandmother.

The burglary is a variation of a common scam in Cleveland's suburbs in which visitors convince residents to let them in their homes. Often, the thieves pose as contractors.

In other news:

• A guest at a surprise party got his own surprise when he tried to hide his car from the guest of honor and ended up getting stuck. 

A Greenbrier Drive resident called police about 10 p.m. May 2 after seeing a car with its lights on driving on a private road near the lake. The driver said he had parked there because the party host told him to, but had gotten stuck. He had to call a tow truck to get out.

• A man with a baby carriage sparked suspicion when he got out of a car on Saratoga Trail May 4 and walked up the street with the car following. 

Police located the man and stroller, which was filled with phone books. The man was delivering the books to certain addresses.

• A mom had a tense half hour May 2 when she couldn't find her 6-year-old son. The mom, who lives on Fair Isle Way, thought the boy was with his grandmother after getting off the bus from kindergarten.

Police and a canine unit started searching the neighborhood about 12:30 p.m., until they learned the child had been located at the library. A report said the boy had knocked on a neighbor's door because his own house was locked. The neighbor texted the child's mother to say he was taking him to the library, but the woman said she has been having trouble with her phone.

• A Howe Road woman called for help after finding an animal in her house May 2. A report said the animal was downstairs, but ran up the stairs into a bedroom. The raccoon fled the house, but the warden caught the four babies she left behind. 

• A driver on Westwood Drive apparently failed to negotiate a turn onto Hollo Oval May 5 and drove 40 feet onto a lawn. The errant driver then backed up and struck the street sign post, a report said.

• Police were called into a neighbor dispute when one woman complained that her neighbor stopped her car on the Shagbark Trail and made her drive around. The neighbor said she pulled up to the intersection to wait for the school bus and that the other woman could have easily driven around her.

The complainant said she shouldn't have to drive around. Police advised the mom to park legally while waiting for the bus and both women to stay away from each other.

• A newspaper carrier called police after receiving threats from someone on her route who accused her of turfing his lawn. The customer reportedly said he would put spikes in his yard or flatten her tires personally.

The carrier said she did not drive on anyone's lawn.