By Eve 
Two teenage girls were arrested after Cleveland police recovered a stolen vehicle during a citywide operation aimed at curbing car thefts and break-ins.
According to a police news release, officers in the Second District spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen out of East Cleveland traveling through the Ohio City and Gordon Square neighborhoods. The car was detected by FLOCK safety cameras shortly before 9 p.m., prompting officers to initiate a traffic stop near West 73rd Street and Detroit Avenue.
Instead of pulling over, the driver accelerated and led officers toward a nearby parking lot, where the vehicle came to a dead end. All five occupants then jumped out and ran in different directions. Officers were able to apprehend two of them — a 13-year-old and a 17-year-old girl — after a brief chase.
Investigators later confirmed that the 13-year-old had previously been reported missing from Maple Heights. Both teens were processed at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Home and charged with receiving stolen property, police said. They were later released to their caregivers under home detention monitoring and are expected to appear in juvenile court at a later date.
The stolen vehicle was recovered at the scene and will be returned to its owner. Authorities did not release details about the remaining suspects who fled on foot, but the investigation is ongoing.
Police said the arrests were part of a broader enforcement and investigative effort targeting a recent uptick in stolen vehicles across Cleveland’s west side. The department continues to use FLOCK license plate recognition cameras and community tips to locate stolen cars and identify repeat offenders involved in organized theft activity.
Shawn Henry 
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