CLEVELAND, Ohio – A suspect was arrested Wednesday and accused of stealing a car that later went off an embankment and came to rest along the shore of Lake Erie, police say.
Lorain Police Capt. Jacob Morris said William Griffin, 46, of Lorain is charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, reckless operation and breaking and entering.
Morris said a man went out to start a relative’s white Acura RDX SUV in a detached garage about 7 a.m. The man stood outside the vehicle after starting it. That’s when Griffin is accused of confronting the victim, Morris said.
Griffin then drove off in the car, police said. He took it to an apartment complex on East Erie Avenue, about a mile from Lorain’s police department, according to Morris. The complex’s parking lot is situated near the lake.
Witnesses told police that Griffin, at one point, jumped out of the running SUV, allowing it to go down the embankment and land on some large rocks near the lake.
The SUV suffered heavy damage. Officers arrested Griffin, who complained of shortness of breath. He was taken to a hospital and then to the Lorain County Jail.