Gang robs, beats man in Lorain in the middle of the day, police say

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Lorain Police need your help to identify the people who got away with beating and robbing a man this week in the middle of the day.

Many who saw it are frightened that retaliation might be on those who committed such a barbaric crime.

“First thing I thought was how horrible, I felt that I did not hear a thing to intervene,” said Jakki Justice.

She witnessed the savage beating and was outraged after watching the surveillance footage captured here from where she works, just a few feet away from the parking lot where it happened.

The crime was committed in plain view just before 1 p.m. Monday in front of NOOKS located in the 3300 block of Oberlin Avenue.

Five men brutally attacked the man until he couldn’t move, and neither could Carol Ray, who watched.

“Very rarely does something this severe happens,” said Ray.

Tiffaney Leschen, who works next door to Nooks at the Glam Parlor, says the episode was unusual.

" I think it was a fluke; it was 1 o’clock in the afternoon in broad daylight; people were everywhere. Coming off the street even,” said Leschen.

And perhaps that is why Lorain Police provided 19 NEWS with a close-up cell phone video taken. Lt. Dan Reinhardt is convinced that if someone can I.D. anyone in this video, they can solve this case.

“All we need is the cooperation of our city; someone knows these guys, and we must get them off the streets,” said Reinhardt.

Copyright 2021 WOIO. All rights reserved.