Latest news with #ElyriaPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Elyria student charged with setting Chromebook on fire for ‘social media challenge': Police
ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW) – An Elyria student is facing felony charges after investigators said he intentionally set a Chromebook on fire inside a middle school classroom. Investigators believe the suspected arson was part of a viral social media challenge. The incident happened Friday morning at Eastern Heights Middle School. According to the Elyria Police Department, a school resource officer responded to the middle school around 10:50 a.m. after school officials reported a suspicious incident involving smoke in one of the classrooms. Fugitive from UK wanted in child sex assault arrested in Garfield Heights Staff had already evacuated students from the area by the time the officer arrived. The officer reported seeing smoke in the classroom, which was traced back to a school-issued Chromebook that sustained serious heat damage. There was also damage to the floor around the device, investigators said. According to Elyria police, a preliminary investigation revealed that 'a 15-year-old student had intentionally tampered with the device consistent with an emerging social media trend referred to as the 'Chromebook Challenge.'' The teen was taken into custody and faces felony arson and vandalism charges. He was taken to the Lorain County Juvenile Detention Home. There were no injuries, officials said. 'The intentional ignition of electronic devices poses a serious risk to students, staff and school property,' said Police Chief Jim Welsh. 'This behavior is not only reckless but criminal, and we will hold individuals accountable when safety is jeopardized.' Fentanyl seized, 20 arrested in Elyria drug crackdown The district sent out a precautionary notice to parents about the dangerous trend on Thursday. Several Northeast Ohio school districts have sent out similar notices. 'We want to make you aware of a dangerous TikTok challenge encouraging students to insert metal objects into Chromebook USB ports or wall outlets to produce sparks or smoke,' West Geauga Superintendent Rich Markwardt wrote to parents. 'This behavior poses serious safety risks, including electrical shock and fire hazards.' Similar incidents have been reported across the country. The Bullhead City School District in Arizona took to Facebook on Thursday, reporting that multiple Chromebooks were vandalized through the trend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police raid alleged unlicensed dispensary
Police raided an alleged unlicensed dispensary in Ohio. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Elyria Police Department shared on social media that EPD's Narcotics and Detective Bureau executed the search warrant at Exotic Flower, an unlicensed dispensary. TRENDING STORIES: Nearly a dozen injured in shooting at busy tourist area of Myrtle Beach Car rear-ends motorcyclist, then runs them over 1 dead as Florida authorities declare a 'mass casualty' in boat crash near Clearwater bridge Detectives seized several pounds of Marijuana, a handgun with an extended magazine, suspected Psilocybin (mushrooms), and U.S. currency. According to the post, this is the first investigation of its kind in Lorain County. Officers arrested the operator of the dispensary, Brittany Jackson, CBS affiliate WOIO-19 reported. Jackson is charged with trafficking in psilocybin, trafficking in marijuana, and two counts of drug possession, according to EPD. 'Drug Trafficking and the violence associated with it will not be tolerated in the city of Elyria, and #EPD will aggressively target anyone responsible for selling drugs in our community,' EPD Chief of Police James Welsh said in the post. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Escaped suspect still at-large, believed to be with missing girlfriend: Elyria police
ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW) – The Elyria Police Department continues searching for a suspect who escaped custody while still in handcuffs last week. On Monday, Elyria police detectives confirmed that 23-year-old Donte Jamar Parker II is alive and 'continues to evade law enforcement.' Parker, wanted on multiple felony warrants, was arrested on Monday, Feb. 3, by officers at an apartment complex on Washington Avenue. Investigators said he was found hiding under a bed with a firearm. Pet owners stunned by sudden closure of microchip registry Save This Life According to Elyria police, Parker managed to escape while being escorted out of the residence, leading to an ongoing manhunt by several law enforcement agencies. Detectives now believe he's with his girlfriend, 20-year-old Petra Pintar, who was reported missing by her family. Police search for gunman who killed 10-year-old in Cleveland Anyone with information on Parker or Pintar's whereabouts is urged to contact the Elyria police detectives at 440-326-1211 or jlarson@ or to call 911. Anonymous tips can also be submitted on the police department's website. Parker faces additional felony charges, including having weapons while under disability, escape and obstructing official business, as well as a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘Actively searching:' Handcuffed man escapes local police
ELYRIA, Ohio (WJW) — The Elyria Police Department said Tuesday that they are 'actively searchin'' for a man that escaped police custody and fled while still handcuffed. According to a post on the Elyria Police Department's Facebook page, the incident happened shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday. Officers were called to at apartment in the 200 block of Washington Avenue for a welfare check. Upon arrival, officers said they found a man with outstanding felony warrants hiding inside. Police identified the man as 23-year-old Donte Jamar Parker II. According to the post, Parker was taken into custody but, managed to escape while still handcuffed. Sean 'Diddy' Combs rushed to hospital from jail: Report 'As officers were escorting him from the residence, Parker escaped police custody and fled on foot while still handcuffed,' read the post. 'Officers established a perimeter and initiated a search with assistance from the Lorain County Sheriff's Office and North Ridgeville Police K-9 Unit. Despite extensive efforts, Parker was not located.' Officials said, additional charges have been filed against Parke including having Weapons Under Disability (F3), Escape (F3), Obstructing Official Business (F5), and Resisting Arrest (M2). TRAFFIC ALERT: New construction zones to expect in Northeast Ohio Anyone with information on his whereabouts are told to contact the Elyria Police Department at 440-323-3302 or 911. Anonymous tips can also be submitted at . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
