Victim of fatal crash in Westlake ID’d

Berea man facing charges in Elyria

A 23-year-old Berea man is facing charges after admitting he shot himself Nov. 30 in Elyria.

Officers responded to the shooting near the intersection of 16th Street and East Avenue at 9 p.m., according to Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino.

Police arrived at the scene to find two bullets in the man’s car and one in his left leg.

“He initially claimed he was hit when someone shot randomly,” Costantino said. “Detectives, who did an excellent job, noticed some discrepancies in his story and called him back today (Dec. 20) where he admitted to shooting himself.”

The man was charged with making false alarms and weapons while intoxicated, both first-degree misdemeanors, and obstructing official business, a second-degree misdemeanor. He was released on a summons to report at 10 a.m. Dec. 26 to Elyria Municipal Court.

The victim of a Dec. 19 Westlake fatal crash has been identified as 72-yearold Rita Louise Vargo of Oakland, Calif.

The crash occurred at 11:27 a.m. at the intersection of Detroit Road and Hamlet Lane when a Ford bucket truck, operated by Spectrum Cable, struck Vargo, according to a Westlake news release.

Passers-by joined Westlake officers and firefighters in attempting life-saving measures, the release said. Vargo was pronounced dead.

The operator of the vehicle and his employer continue to cooperate with the investigation, the release added.