Brook Park police use drone to track down & arrest early-morning burglar

By Bob Sandrick, special to cleveland.comBROOK PARK, Ohio – A Strongsville man 26, was arrested Sept. 8 after he broke into Ashe’s Smoke Shop, 15069 Snow Road, and stole vape juice and cigars.Security video showed the man entering the business at about 2 a.m. after throwing a rock at the front window and breaking the glass. The man grabbed $118 in merchandise off the store shelves and ran out through the broken window. When police arrived, they found a large rock inside the store. Meanwhile, one officer spotted a man, later identified as the suspect, walking nearby. He ran when police tried to talk to him.Police used a drone to search for the man. The drone camera showed him running southbound on Smith Road toward Shell, 5918 Smith. Police caught him behind the gas station.The man was already wanted in Westlake. Police found the stolen merchandise when they searched him.I cover City Halls and school boards in Brecksville, Broadview Heights, North Royalton and Strongsville, specializing in watchdog journalism. As a staff reporter for cleveland.com and Sun News, and now as a...