SOLON, Ohio (WJW) – A man was arrested on Christmas Eve after allegedly stealing an RTA bus that had been left running outside a Solon convenience store. He said he had no way to get home after being released from jail that same morning.
According to a Solon Police Department report, officers responded to the D&M Convenience Food Mart along Aurora Road after it was reported that an RTA bus was stolen just before 11:30 a.m.
Officers met with the bus driver, who said he went inside the store at about 11:20 a.m. He said he left the RTA bus unattended, unlocked and running. He was only inside the store for a short time before he came back outside and noticed the bus was missing, according to the report.
The officer then contacted the Greater Cleveland RTA transit dispatch center, which began to track the bus’ location. The initial location was pinged in the area of East 72nd Street in Cleveland.
According to the report, the Cleveland Division of Police was notified and the D&M Convenience Food Mart cashier worked to produce video footage of the bus being stolen.
The video showed a man with facial hair, wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, entering the parking lot, getting into the RTA bus and leaving the area east on Aurora Road.
Just before noon, RTA dispatchers told police the bus appeared to be stationary on Booth Avenue near East 93rd Street in Cleveland. Cleveland police found the vehicle with the suspect inside, according to the report.
Police officers from Solon, Cleveland and the RTA all responded to the scene.
According to the report, the suspect, identified as Vito Enrico Ecolano, was detained and transported to the Solon jail, where he was booked on a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.
According to the release, Ecolano told police he had been released from Solon jail that same morning at 9 a.m. After his release, he told police he was walking around and had no means of getting home.
According to the report, before stealing the RTA bus, Ecolano stole money and other items from two other unlocked vehicles.
The victim’s phone and backpack were located inside the truck, the report said.