LORAIN — Max Keathley normally leaves his Lorain home for work in Cleveland about 4 a.m.

Thursday he was concerned about the weather, so he left 15 to 20 minutes early. That extra time might have saved a young girl’s life.

Keathley saw flames coming from 1128 W. 23rd St. and, along with two other men who happened to be passing by — Jesse Bonds and Robert Clark, was able to rouse 17-year-old Terriq Coates. Coates told them his niece, 6-year-old Daricka Coates, was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.

More photos below.

Bonds and Clark went upstairs to bring down Daricka, Keathley said, but got disoriented and couldn’t find the front door when they got back down. Keathley said he heard a thud as the men tried to break out a window, so he ran to his truck and grabbed a lug wrench and helped get both men and Daricka out of the house.

“They handed the little girl out to us, and right about the time the first fire truck came around the corner,” Keathley said.
Daricka was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center to be checked out. Her condition was not immediately available. Bonds received cuts to his knees and hands but was treated at the scene and didn’t want to go to a hospital, according to Fire Chief Tom Brown.

Brown estimated damage was about $45,000. He said the fire started in the attached garage, and the home received both smoke and fire damage. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Keathley was just happy he could help.

“I come down Oberlin Avenue every morning around 4 o’clock, and I’m in Cleveland about 4:30,” Keathley said. “Thank god I did leave early because those kids — I don’t think would have lasted very long.

“At some point got a glimpse of fire between the houses. I was kind of being nosy, and I turned down the street. I didn’t really want to get involved, but it dawned on me there were probably people sleeping in that house.”

Keathley, who had left his truck running in the middle of the road, said he made his exit and went on to work as firefighters arrived because he didn’t want to be in the way.

“Very rarely would I call off,” Keathley said. “I have 65 or 66 people under my guidance” at ArcelorMittal.

Still the gravity of what he went through this morning struck him.

“I have kids, I have grandkids,” he said. “I actually got sick halfway to Cleveland. I had to pull over and get sick. It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.”

Contact Rona Proudfoot at rproudfoot@chroniclet.com.

CLEVELAND — Cordell Smith, the Elyria man who had been on the run from authorities in connection with an August murder, turned himself in today.

Smith

According to Tony Keffer, U.S. Marshals Service task force coordinator for Lorain County, Smith, 18, arrived with an attorney and turned himself in to Cleveland homicide detectives about 2 p.m.

“Smith was asked if he wanted to give a statement,” Keffer said, but said he didn’t know if he made one or not.

Keffer said he didn’t know if Smith told authorities where he’d been hiding.

U.S. Marshals unveiled Friday that Smith was one of a trio of Elyrians wanted in connection with the Aug. 28 murder of Kari Myers on West 95th Street in Cleveland.

Clint Jackson, 19, was arrested without incident Thursday at 454 Cambridge Ave. in Elyria, and Jason Innes, 18, was found at the Lorain County Detention Home on an unrelated charge.

Myers, 21, the mother of a 2-year-old, was shot in the chest during a robbery as she walked with her boyfriend and cousin about 3:45 a.m. She was found lying in the sidewalk and died a half-hour later at MetroHealth Medical Center. Her companions were not hurt.

An anonymous tip led to warrants being issued for the three for charges including aggravated murder and robbery, Keffer said.

LORAIN — The FBI has been called in to test a substance mailed to a Lorain woman yesterday.

According to a Lorain police report, to a home in the 1600 block of New Mexico Avenue after a resident there said she attempted to open an envelope from an unknown sender and a small amount of powder spilled out.

The woman told police she immediately put the envelope in a Ziplock bag, put her shirt in the laundry, washed her hands and cleaned up the spilled powder. She told police the envelope had no address but a North Carolina postmark.

She said she didn’t recognize the handwriting, but that the envelope spelled her name wrong, had a North Carolina postmark and said “Happy 75th Birthday,” although she is only 50. She said a handwritten note said “Have fun with Al,” which she determined might be referring to alcohol since she is a recovering alcoholic.

The woman showed no signs of illness and was advised to contact authorities if she did, according to FBI spokesman Scott Wilson.

The Fire Department, Health Department and Emergency Management Agency were notified, the police report said.

The woman was advised to stay in the house but to keep her animals contained to the kitchen, the report said.

“I was honestly concerned with my animals first, the post office workers and myself last,” the woman said Friday.

SHEFFIELD LAKE — A Sheffield Lake man who was arrested for violating a protection order last week is now facing a felony charge after a police officer found nude photos of his underage girlfriend among his possessions.

Tenney

Jackson Tenney, 18, was originally arrested Thursday after police found him at his home with his 16-year-old girlfriend, according to Capt. Tony Campo.

Campo said the mother of the girl, who also lives in Sheffield Lake, had taken out the anti-stalking protection order on the girl’s behalf to try to keep the two apart after Tenney reportedly threatened the girl and threatened other family members.

Once in the city jail, Tenney called a family member and asked to have some possessions brought to him. The possessions, which included some clothing, notebooks and novels were searched by a police officer, who found nude photos of the girl in a notebook. Campo said Tenney’s family member was unaware of the photos and wouldn’t face charges.

Tenney was also charged with use of a minor in nudity oriented material, a felony, Campo said.

Campo said it hadn’t been determined how old the girl was in the pictures.

Tenney is now in the Lorain County Jail.