A late-night meetup that started at a Brook Park strip club ended with a gunpoint robbery in an empty parking lot, according to police, and now a 19-year-old Wadsworth man is wanted on a first-degree aggravated robbery charge.
Investigators say the man robbed an 18-year-old Lakewood woman early on June 9 after the two left a nearby strip club together. The woman told police she met the man inside the club and agreed to a sexual encounter, exchanging $200 for sex. She said that once they were in an abandoned parking lot behind a used-car dealer on Brookpark Road, the man allegedly pulled out a handgun and forced her back into his car.
According to Cleveland.com, the woman called police around 12:45 a.m. on June 9 after the suspect drove off in a Kia Forte. Investigators say surveillance video showed the Kia leaving the lot, and another camera later captured the car heading east on Brookpark Road at Chevrolet Boulevard. A license-plate-reading camera then pinged officers to the same vehicle near West 130th Street, according to the report. Police say that work led to a warrant for a 19-year-old Wadsworth man, who now faces an aggravated robbery charge.
Where police say the encounter began
Business listings place Amber’s Cabaret, the strip club where the two reportedly met, at 13311 Brookpark Road in Brook Park. MapQuest lists the same address for the club.
The alleged robbery occurred behind a nearby used-car dealership. Local directories list Luxury Motors at 13501 Brookpark Road, and Loc8NearMe and other business records show that address for the dealership whose lot sits behind the strip of businesses on Brookpark.
Police response and legal stakes
Brook Park police say they issued a warrant after tying the Kia Forte seen on cameras to the suspect, treating the case as an aggravated robbery. Under Ohio law, aggravated robbery is a first-degree felony when a deadly weapon is displayed or there is a threat of serious physical harm, with enhanced penalties spelled out for that level of offense. The Ohio Revised Code defines aggravated robbery, and Cleveland.com reports that the Wadsworth man currently faces that charge.
What comes next
As of the most recent report, the warrant remained active, and the man had not yet been taken into custody. Investigators say the case is ongoing as they continue to pursue leads and review footage from area cameras.
The Brook Park Police Department is asking anyone with information to contact the department. The city’s police page lists the main line at 216-433-1239 for tips or additional details related to the case.
