South Euclid duo fire shots on busy street, cause bullet to land in child’s car seat

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A bullet lands in a child’s car seat, after dozens of rounds are fired by two people in a stolen white Jeep as the vehicle travels through a heavily congested intersection in South Euclid.

Detectives said the crime happened back on March 8, around 5:00 p.m. at the intersection of Mayfield and Warrensville-Center Roads, an area of town packed with both street and foot traffic as well as restaurants and other businesses.

Another motorist’s dash camera video captured what looked like a scene out of a movie.

One car slams into another car in South Euclid, that driver told police they were being chased by a white Jeep.

Within seconds the white Jeep is captured on camera speeding on Warrensville-Center Road towards Mayfield, and when the vehicle reaches the intersection, the driver and a passenger both point guns out of the window, firing dozens of shots and literally putting the community in the line of fire.

Those bullets did damage to several vehicles, light poles and even damaged a Rally’s sign.

South Euclid Public Information Officer Joe DiLillo, Jr. said, “This is as dangerous as anything I’ve ever seen in 16 and a half years on the police department.”

The officer tells 19 News they feel fortunate no one was killed by the reckless behavior of a passenger and driver in a stolen Jeep with no license plate.

But, he said the duo did come dangerously close to doing more than just property damage. That’s because one of the bullets went through the windshield of a car waiting at the traffic light, landing in a car seat that an 8-year-old child was actually sitting in.

“The child was actually sitting in the seat and if you look at the photos that we gave you one of the rounds did strike the windshield, part of the roof compartment of the interior, struck a passenger seat and later entered the back seat of the vehicle,” DiLillo said.

Thankfully, the child was unharmed.

Two days later the stolen Jeep was found abandoned by Cleveland Police, and is now evidence of a dangerous, daring and irresponsible act that put an entire community in danger.

Officer DiLillo said, “That goes again to show you when you randomly discharge a firearm not towards an intended target and you haphazardly discharge at a intersection with civilians and children, it’s very upsetting, it’s unacceptable and it’s against the law.”

If you have information that could help identify the two suspects in this case please contact the South Euclid Police Detective Division at: (216) 381-1234. You can reference police report #230452, or you can send an email to: jdilillo@sepolice.us.

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