An Ohio man is facing criminal charges after he viciously vandalized her home to settle a score from a years-old car accident.
Older Ohio man retaliated with vandalism
He allegedly defaced a woman’s residence with spray paint and even attempted to sabotage her vehicle by putting sugar in the gas tank during his unhinged rampage.
Westlake Police reported that around 7 a.m. on April 10, officers responded to a distress call from a local homeowner who claimed her property had been vandalized.
Upon arrival, responding officers observed that the entire front of the house had been targeted, with black spray paint covering multiple areas, including several windows and the ring doorbell camera.
Investigators suspect also tried to pour sugar into the woman’s car’s gas tank, potentially intending to cause mechanical damage.
“He wrote a lot of words, many of them misspelled on the house itself, plus took time to spray paint the windows. If you watch the surveillance video, he even notices the cameras that are there and spray paints the cameras,” Westlake Police Department Capt. Gerry Vogel stated.
Police identify Ohio man through video footage
The homeowner reviewed footage from her home surveillance system and told officers the man caught on video appeared to be someone she knew.
Police were then able to connect the victim to a previous traffic accident that had occurred in August 2023.
Both the woman and a man named Michael Dietz. 64, had been involved in that earlier incident.
Officers located Dietz, a fellow Westlake resident, and after speaking with him, found that he resembled the suspect from the footage. According to authorities, Dietz did not deny his involvement.
“I f—ing spray painted a—hole on her house,” Dietz told Westlake police.
“Why?” asked the officer. “Because she’s an a—hole,” he retorted.
While being transported to jail, Dietz made an even more alarming comment.
“That b— is lucky I didn’t go over with a .357 and start shooting the place up,” he said from the back seat of a police vehicle.
According to police, Dietz claimed he was still upset about how the crash with the woman had been handled and was considering taking legal action against her.
He alleged that he continued to suffer from back pain related to the incident.
While police were speaking with Dietz at his home, they noticed a black backpack resembling the one used by the individual seen in the surveillance footage.
Officers inspected the bag and discovered several items they say were consistent with evidence recovered from the vandalism scene.
“Upon inspection, the bag contained clear plastic gloves, a reusable Giant Eagle grocery bag, sugar residue, and a blue funnel. These items are consistent with the tools and evidence left at the scene,” officers noted in their report.
Dietz was taken into custody without any resistance. He is currently facing charges of vandalism and aggravated menacing.
The case has been referred to a grand jury, which could result in further legal action.
Driver celebrates after killing young man in high-speed chase
In a separate incident out of Georgia, a 23-year-old woman is facing murder and vehicular homicide charges following a deadly police pursuit that ended in tragedy that she seemingly celebrated.
Faduma Mohamed was arrested the evening if April 14, after allegedly leading Georgia State Patrol on a high-speed chase that ended in a fatal crash.
Authorities say the chase tragically ended when Mohamed’s SUV collided with a 19-year-old man driving a Honda Accord, killing him on impact.
According to police, Mohamed was seen by a state trooper driving a black Chevrolet Equinox at excessive speed along Interstate 20 around 8 p.m.
The trooper reportedly observed her making abrupt lane changes and attempted to initiate a traffic stop.
Instead of pulling over, Mohamed allegedly accelerated and exited the highway, heading into Atlanta’s Little Five Points area.
Mohamed reportedly continued to drive recklessly, weaving between lanes and passing cars using the center turn lane, according to reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Witnesses and officials say that at an intersection, the Equinox ran a red light and slammed into the driver’s side of a Honda Accord. The impact caused the sedan to careen into the Little Five Corner Tavern.
Emergency medical personnel responded quickly but were unable to save the young driver, identified as Cooper Schoenke. He was declared dead at the scene.
Mohamed was pulled from her vehicle and transported to Grady Memorial Hospital to be treated for injuries that authorities described as non-life-threatening.
Witnesses at the scene were stunned, reporting that Mohamed appeared to be rejoicing after the fatal crash.
One bystander claimed she was “celebrating,” though authorities have not yet commented on that detail beyond initial statements.
Police later confirmed that Mohamed faces multiple charges, including murder, vehicular homicide, felony fleeing, reckless driving, improper lane usage, failure to comply with a traffic signal, and possession of a Schedule I narcotic.
