An armed domestic violence suspect who slipped into the bushes outside a Westlake hotel on Tuesday did not stay hidden for long, police say. Westlake officers used drones to track down and arrest a man who allegedly smashed his girlfriend’s car window and pointed a gun at her and her adult son in the parking lot of the Sonesta Suites.
According to a Westlake Police Department press release, a hotel employee called dispatch to report an argument in the lot and told authorities the man had broken a car window and aimed a firearm at the woman and her son. Officers say the suspect walked away before crews got to the hotel, then slipped into nearby shrubbery.
Drone teams from both Westlake and neighboring Bay Village were sent up after the suspect left the lot, and officers using that aerial view spotted him hiding in the hotel’s landscaping, according to the department. Police say officers deployed pepper balls to force him out of the bushes and took him into custody at the scene.
The incident was first reported by Cleveland19, which also reports the suspect is a Lakewood resident and that his prior criminal history led to a weapons-under-disability count. The woman had visible injuries but declined medical assistance at the scene, according to the station.
How Drones Fit Into Westlake's Toolkit
Westlake has folded drones into everyday police work rather than treating them as a novelty. The department lists a formal “Drone Program” and drone-forensics training in its 2023 annual report, describing unmanned aircraft as a standard tool for patrol and investigations.
In that report, the department highlights drones as useful for accident reconstruction, searching for missing people and serving as an overhead “eye” during armed or barricade situations. Police officials say that kind of aerial perspective helps lower risk for both officers and the public. The program trains licensed drone pilots and deploys the aircraft alongside K-9 teams and other specialized units when needed.
Charges And Legal Context
Police say the suspect faces charges of strangulation, domestic violence, damaging and menacing, and of menacing the woman’s son with a firearm. Prosecutors also added a weapons-under-disability count tied to prior felony and domestic-violence convictions, according to the department and court filings referenced in media reports.
Under Ohio law, certain people are barred from acquiring or possessing guns under Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.13, which lays out the weapons-under-disability restrictions. Domestic-violence offenses and enhanced penalties for strangulation are addressed in Ohio Revised Code Section 2919.25.
What Happens Next
The suspect was booked into the Westlake jail, and police say he was charged at the scene. The case will now head to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office for review, according to reporting by Cleveland19.
Detectives recovered two guns with the suspect’s belongings, and the woman again declined medical treatment at the scene, the station reports. The department has not released the suspect’s name or a scheduled arraignment date.
