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Shooting victim released; Lorain man arrested

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

LORAIN — A Lorain man with a lengthy record has been charged with felonious assault following a shooting overnight.

Lorenzana

Lorenzana

Andrew Lorenzana, 21, was arrested overnight. Reginal Johnson, 31, of Lorain was treated and released from Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Johnson called police about 5 p.m. last night to tell them he had been shot and was being driven to the hospital. Officers met Johnson at the emergency room and found him bleeding from the leg and calf. They found three gunshot wounds to his left calf, although it was unclear how many times he had been shot because some of them could be exit wounds, a police report said.

Johnson told officers he had pulled up in front of his brother’s house on West 15th St., and he noticed that Lorenzana pulled up behind him and parked in the street. Johnson said Lorenzana asked to buy marijuana from him, but he denied him because he was still owed money from the last marijuana he sold him.

According to the police report, Lorenzana then got upset and said “It’s like that?” before asking a passenger in his car to hand him a gun.

Johnson said he then ran toward his brother’s house, heard shots and felt pain in his leg.

Lorenzana was arrested overnight and is currently in the Lorain city jail.

Lorenzana has a history of being charged with felonies only to see the cases dropped. Most recently, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted trafficking in cocaine and had charges of trafficking in cocaine and participating in a criminal gang dropped. That case came from a Lorain police crackdown on gang activity.

Lorain man in good condition following overnight shooting

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

LORAIN — A Lorain man who had to be LifeFlighted after he was shot last night is now in good condition, according to hospital spokeswoman.

Jalen Ross, 18, is hospitalized at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland.

Officers were called to the area of Washington Avenue and West Sixth Street about 7:30 p.m. after several callers reported hearing shots fired, according to a police report.

Police didn’t find any victims but received a call from Mercy Regional Medical Center that a shooting victim had arrived at the hospital.

Officers who responded to the hospital got basic info from Ross, who had been shot in the lower right side and was about to be LifeFlighted to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland and spoke with Ross’ uncle, Vincent Smith.

Smith said he was at a friend’s home on West 30th Street when he received a call from Ross requesting a ride. Smith said he picked Ross up in the area of West 25th Street and Broadway and dropped him off in the area of West Fifth Street and Washington.

Smith said five males dressed all in black approached the car as he was about to drop Ross off and began banging on the passenger-side windows. He said they then displayed weapons, which he described as “revolvers” and “automatics,” and began shooting at the car.

Ross then said he’d been shot, so he drove straight to the hospital, Smith said. Ross said he couldn’t identify any of the men but said they were all black males.

Officers found seven bullet holes in Smith’s car.

Officers back at the scene located several bullet casings of different calibers lying around, according to the report. Several bullet holes were also found in parked cars on Washington Avenue.

Ross’ clothing and cell phones and Smith’s vehicle were all secured as evidence.

This shooting may or may not be related to three incidents the night before, according to Lorain police Sgt. Mark Carpentiere.

No one was hurt in any of the previous incidents.

In each of the incidents, between 12 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. Dec. 29, either a car or home window was shot out.

“We don’t believe that these incidents are random,” Carpentiere said when asked if citizens should be particularly concerned. “Obviously, if someone is shooting a gun, innocent people could be hurt, but we don’t believe these are people shooting at people they don’t know.”
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Multiple reports of gunfire, shattered windows overnight in Lorain

Wednesday, December 29th, 2010

LORAIN — Police in Lorain were busy responding to multiple reports of gunfire shattering windows overnight, according to reports.

Lorain police Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said he didn’t know if the incidents are related but said “we’re looking into that possibly.”

Police confiscated a pellet gun used in one incident and found a bullet in another, so the weapons, at least, are not the same.

Police were flagged down by a citizen in the area of West 10th Street and Washington Avenue shortly after midnight. The individual told officers he or she had heard a shot fired and glass shattering and observed a red Ford Escort or similar vehicle with at least three black males in it leaving the area.

Officers located a blue Ford Explorer parked behind 1016 W. 10th St. with a shattered black window. Officers made contact with the vehicle’s owner but could not locate the red suspect vehicle.

Less than 20 minutes later, officers were called to 1928 Lexington Ave. The caller told police she was sleeping and awoke to her children yelling that someone had shot the house. Police found a top pane in a window shattered.

The woman said her daughter heard male voices immediately after the shot was fired. Officers found a black and silver carbon-dioxide-powered pellet gun outside the home near the broken window, according to the report.

At 1:20 a.m., officers were called to 1059 W. 11th St. and met with victims who said their car window was shot out while they were driving in the area of Leavitt and Meister roads.

The victims said they were northbound on Leavitt after leaving the 7-Eleven. They said a small dark car was behind them, and a two-tone pickup truck was southbound but did a U-turn and pulled up behind then shortly before their vehicle’s back window was shattered.

Both vehicles then took off, they said.

Officers found a slug in a rear passenger seat and observed a dent that appeared to be from another bullet in the rear quarter panel of the car.

“We don’t believe that these incidents are random,” Carpentiere said when asked if citizens should be particularly concerned. “Obviously, if someone is shooting a gun, innocent people could be hurt, but we don’t believe these are people shooting at people they don’t know.”


View Dec. 29 shots fired, Lorain, Ohio in a larger map

Man LifeFlighted after being burned in Lorain fire

Tuesday, December 28th, 2010

LORAIN — A Lorain man had to be LifeFlighted after he was injured in a house fire early today.

According to firefighters, Scott Pataky, 35, was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He was released from the hospital this morning, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Firefighters were called to 2315 W. 13th St. about 2 a.m., according to Lt. Thomas Lorbach.

Firefighters were able to get the homeowner, John Pataky, and his son, Scott Pataky, out of the up-down duplex.

Amy Pataky Ray, the homeowner’s daughter, told them she saw Scott operate a lighter near the Christmas tree, igniting the fire.

“Amy said she had seen tree on fire, and Scott attempted to remove it from house,” Lorbach said.

Firefighters did not find any evidence of a Christmas tree, however, Lorbach said.

Scott Pataky was taken by ambulance to Mercy Regional Medical Center in Lorain and then was LifeFlighted to Metro.

Ohio Edison was called to cut the power to the home, and the department’s Fire Prevention Bureau and a board-up crew were also called, Lorbach said. Because the home has no power, the occupants will be forced to find somewhere else to stay for the time being. Lorbach wasn’t sure whether they were staying with relatives or receiving some sort of assistance.

The cause and the origin of the fire have not been determined and remain under investigation, Lorbach said. He said damage is estimated at $15,000 to the home and $6,000 to its contents.