Fallsnewspress.com - Falls man victim of phone scam, loses nearly $5,000

Cuyahoga Falls -- Police say an 80-year-old city man lost nearly $5,000 after being the victim of a scam.

The man told police Feb. 24 that he got two phone calls on Feb. 23 and 24 advising him to send money because his granddaughter had been arrested in Canada and needed money for bail and a lawyer.

He wired $4,891 through Western Union, police said, and then learned his granddaughter never was in Canada and didn't ask him for any money.

Aggravated menacing

Feb. 23 -- Knife wielder nabbed. A 29-year-old homeless man was arrested around 6:30 p.m. and charged with aggravated menacing after police say he got into an argument with his ex-girlfriend in her apartment over custody of their 5-month-old baby.

According to police, the man shoved the woman, but she was not injured. As the argument started to escalate, the woman's mother, who was visiting, told police she tried to separate the two. That was when the mother says the man grabbed an 8-inch butcher knife and threatened to kill the woman's mother and anyone else who came into the apartment, according to police. At that point, the two women picked up the baby and went outside. The man was threatening to damage the mother's car when police arrived, police said.

Disorderly conduct

Feb. 27 -- Couple arrested. A Falls man and woman, ages 54 and 45, were arrested in the 2600 block of 13th Street at 9:50 p.m. and charged with disorderly conduct after police found them intoxicated and sitting in the front seat of the man's car parked at Bolich Middle School. The report says they were "passionately" engaged in conduct likely to be offensive to others.

Prohibited weapon

Feb. 25 -- Student arrested. An 18-year-old male student of Falls High School was arrested at the school at 8 a.m. and charged with carrying a prohibited weapon after a principal reported finding a 3-inch knife in the student's pants pocket.

Forgery

Feb. 24 -- Bank conned. An investigator for a bank on Bailey Road reported that someone on Dec. 16 presented a check for $4,900 drawn from an account at another bank. It was later discovered the check was a forgery, police said.

Theft, obstruction

Feb. 24 -- Shoplifter caught. A 21-year-old Falls man was arrested and charged with theft and obstruction of official business after he allegedly concealed six video games worth $180 and walked out of a Howe Avenue store at 11:50 a.m. without paying. When confronted by police, he gave them a false name.

Forgery

Feb. 23 -- Fake fifty. A store in the 1700 block of State Road reported that between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. someone made a purchase with a counterfeit $50 bill. There are potential leads, police said.

Feb. 23 -- Hokey hundred. A store in the 1600 block of State Road reported an unknown person purchased merchandise with a phony $100 bill at 3:45 p.m.

Accidents

Feb. 28 -- No injuries. A 25-year-old Falls man was cited for failure to obey a stop sign after a crash at 3:10 p.m. A 33-year-old Falls woman was driving a sport utility vehicle east on Roosevelt Avenue approaching 12th Street. The Falls man was stopped at the stop sign on 12th at Roosevelt facing south. Police say he then pulled into the intersection, failing to yield for the woman, whose SUV struck the car the man was driving. No one was injured.

Feb. 25 -- Driver cited. A 26-year-old Falls woman was transported to Summa Western Reserve Hospital with possible injuries following a wreck around 5:30 p.m. According to the report, the woman was attempting to drive across Broad Boulevard at Ninth Street when she struck another car being driven by a 48-year-old Falls woman traveling east on Broad Boulevard. The 26-year-old was cited for failure to obey a stop sign. The 48-year-old woman was not injured.

Editor's note: Police News is a sampling of incidents responded to by Cuyahoga Falls Police. It is not meant to be all-inclusive.