Akron police have taken into custody two juveniles after a series of vehicles were reported damaged on Tuesday. According to WKYC, the suspects, aged 9 and 11, are accused of throwing rocks from the 27th Street Bridge onto cars traveling along I-76 West, resulting in at least nine vehicles with broken windshields and other damages. Amidst this chaos, shattered glass struck a 44-year-old man in the eye, causing a minor injury that required treatment by EMS, as confirmed by the Akron Police Department.
In the narrative spun by the boys, said to officers when they were found, they were accompanied by a male who had since left the scene, as detailed in the police report acquired by Cleveland19. The victims, witnessing the event unfold and grasping the gravity of the situation, kept the boys at the scene until law enforcement arrived. Both young suspects were subsequently released into the custody of their parents and now face criminal complaints of vehicular vandalism and criminal damaging, as stated by Captain Michael Miller of the Akron Police Department.
One of the impacted motorists, Tom Maxwell, reported to News 5 Cleveland that he and his girlfriend had plans for a quiet evening violently disrupted by the incident. "We were just heading home, and we were going to come home, make dinner and watch the debate," Maxwell said. The sudden and dangerous act left his girlfriend with eye injuries due to shattered glass and resulted in considerable damage to Maxwell's vehicle.
In an incident that shocked him even more, Maxwell was due for deployment in the U.S. Navy within a month and now has to grapple with the unexpected task of car repairs and potential medical bills. "I'm within 30 days of leaving, and I didn't want to have to deal with getting the car fixed," Maxwell lamented, expressing a desire not to press charges and hoping the boys would learn from their reckless actions, as he told WKYC. The case has been referred to the Summit County Juvenile Court for further review.
