Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLAKE COUNTY Ohio (WOIO) - Two people were found dead inside a home in Painesville Tuesday following a SWAT situation when they got on scene they found a woman outside of her home hurt First responders and SWAT were seen entering the home just before 11 a.m Painesville Police say when they entered the home The man appeared to have a self-inflicted gun shot wound Neighbors told 19 News the SWAT team was calling for a man to come out of a home in the area of Hayer Drive and West Jackson Street “Around like 8:20 there was an ambulance and a bunch of cops outside and then the squad had left with someone on the gurney,” said neighbor Jon Dehlight " Then it kind of turned into a giant police stand off outside." Painesville police say Maple Elementary School was placed on a precautionary lock down due to the location of the nearby SWAT situation “There was never any threat to student or staff safety nor was the incident on school property,” police assured The SWAT team left the the area just before noon Neighbors tells 19 News three people lived in the home that SWAT entered and described them as good neighbors that are kind and take care of their yard The Painesville Police Department placed crime scene tape around the home and two others next door The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations arrived to the scene just after 1 p.m they were asked to come help by Painseville Police Anyone with any information pertaining to this incident should contact the Painesville Police Department at 440-392-5840 At Painesville’s Cinco de Mayo festival in northeast Ohio a troupe of folkloric dancers prepared to take the floor brightly colored skirts decorated with ribbons of red blue and purple and waited for the music to start Daniela Nicasio and Rosario Chavez have been dancing like this for years “It's very important because it's us trying to express our culture,” Nicasio translated for Chavez Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo — the holiday that recognizes the Mexican army’s victory over the French in an 1862 battle In Lake County, east of Cleveland, the Hispanic population is one of the largest in the state, with more than 12,000 residents as of 2023 “The city [of Painesville] is now about a third Hispanic and the schools are more than 50% Hispanic,” said Veronica Isabel Dahlberg It organized this Cinco de Mayo fiesta — the city’s third Although the itinerary changed because of rain its schedule was originally packed with Mexican traditions like lucha libre wrestling “It really adds to the cultural fabric of the United States and it's something we should be very proud of in this country.” This year, though, cities like Chicago and Philadelphia cancelled their Cinco de Mayo parades citing fears over the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration While Toledo still hosted its Cinco de Mayo celebration at the zoo, organizers told the city’s newspaper, The Toledo Blade that they worried some people would be too nervous to attend Dahlberg says that’s not the case in Painesville "We're not scared to live here and we're not scared period,” she said but we're going to continue to live our lives they're having their quinceañeras and life goes on The sidewalks were lined with vendors selling hand painted sacred hearts and alebrijes — tiny carvings of brightly colored fantastical animals Diana Guzman and her mom brought their food truck from Sandusky “So to come and see all our community is good.” Maricela Daza Manejadora stood under her tent with stacks of intricately embroidered hats and bags from Latin America to cultural festivals like this all over northeast Ohio “I think it's very important because that way little by little we are becoming part of the community of Painesville and other places.” organizer Veronica Dahlberg says the impact of this Cinco de Mayo fiesta isn’t limited to just one day in May: The collaboration that leads up to it — and the cultural understanding that results — makes the community stronger too police found a man and an elderly woman dead inside a Painesville home Toby Burgett of the Painesville Police Department officers responded to the 180 block of Hayer Drive after being notified of a domestic violence situation they found an injured woman outside the home She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment while officers tried to make contact with a man inside The SWAT team was called in and eventually entered the home Burgett said SWAT members found a man dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound An elderly woman was also found dead inside Burgett said that three dogs inside the home were removed and handed over to the Lake Humane Society for temporary housing Maple Elementary and Our Shepherd Lutheran School kept children inside with the doors locked as a precaution Burgett said there was never a direct threat to the students or staff Painesville Police are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the department at 440-392-5842 Ohio (WOIO) - A Painesville Township man was sentenced to a minimum of 17.5 years in prison for shooting his wife inside their home last year Jeffry Wyman pleaded guilty on Monday in front of Lake County Court of Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Ruple to inducing panic and discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises 2024 at the couple’s home in the 1600 block of West Jackson St EMS transported the victim to UH-Tripoint Medical Center and she was then flown by medical helicopter to University Hospitals in Cleveland where she was treated for her injuries Wyman refused to exit the house for deputies and was taken into custody after a nearly five-hour standoff A neighbor’s home was also struck by gunfire Neighbors were ordered to shelter in place during the standoff Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInPAINESVILLE Ohio (WOIO) - A total of 14 fire departments battled a fire at a business early Wednesday morning Crews were called out to Avery Denison Corporation around 4:45 a.m Avery Denison has employees working there 24 hours a day but nobody was injured and all were evacuated before firefighters arrived said the fire started outside in a thermal oxidizing unit and caught some of the roof on fire Aerial ladders were used to help attack the fire and the fire was contained to the roof A damage estimate is not currently available Painesville received Automatic Mutual Aid from Painesville Township Concord Township and Grand River fire departments PCFD also received assistance from the Painesville Police Department Avery Dennison Corporation is a multinational manufacturer and distributor of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials (such as self-adhesive labels) Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInMENTOR Ohio (WOIO)— A 30-year-old Painesville man was killed in a head-on crash Monday afternoon Mentor Communications Officer Ante Logarusic said Ismael Rivera was northbound on Heisley Road around 4:50 p.m. when he went left of center and struck the driver of a Hyundai Sante Fe was transported to Hillcrest Hospital with serious injuries was also seriously injured and transported to Hillcrest Hospital Ohio (WOIO) - The Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office and the East End Lake County Fire Investigation Unit determined the cause of a fire on Mentor Avenue Wednesday The Painesville Fire Department responded to a large fire on Mentor Avenue Wednesday afternoon According to a release from the Painesville Fire Department for a fire at a home in the 200 block of Mentor Avenue units arrived on the scene to find an active fire on the exterior of the home Firefighters said the the large historic home is divided into nine apartments and all occupants could safely exit the house The Red Cross of North East Ohio assisted the eight occupants displaced from the fire Hummel said there are no reported injuries and most of the pets have been safely located “We’re flowing upwards of three thousand gallons of water per minute at a certain point during this fire so we accessed four different fire hydrants in the area,” said Painesville Fire Chief Tom Hummel it makes it longer to get water to the fire Our initial engine brings a thousand gallons of water Hummel said firefighters saw the fire first on a ground-floor porch and then traveling up the building’s wall He adds the age of the home makes it easier for the fire to travel and more challenging to fight The elements and frigid weather conditions also played a major factor with some of the fire hydrants on Mentor Avenue clamped shut from ice Hummel said in the release that the over two-century-old home had over $500,00 in severe fire The Ohio State Fire Marshal and the East End Lake County Fire Investigation Unit said the fire was caused by the improper use of a torch to thaw ice The city released the following statement on safety during these upcoming cold days: The Painesville City Fire Department cautions strongly against the use of any heating device to thaw ice other than specifically designed products for such purposes such as pipe heating tapes and gutter/roof tapes especially when temperatures fall to near or below 0 degrees F fire departments all over Ohio encounter fires caused by the improper use of torches to melt ice We cannot stress strongly enough not to use torch to thaw frozen pipes or melt ice on or near structures Painesville Fire Department received aid from Painesville Township and received mutual aid from Perry Joint Fire District Willoughby Fire Department and Wickliffe Fire Department Painesville City’s drone operator and Enbridge Gas Ohio (WOIO) - Officers are asking for help in finding a missing 34-year-old man Macian Thomas Wade was last seen on March 12 Painesville Police said Wade was wearing a gray or orange hoodie “Wade’s disappearance is out of character and may be linked to mental health concerns,” posted Painesville Police on Facebook please call the Painesville Police Department at 440-392-5840 Ohio — A late morning fire on Wednesday heavily damaged a historic landmark in Painesville leaving 11 people looking for a new place to stay Authorities believe the blaze started after someone used a torch to melt ice The historic house at the corner of Mentor Avenue and Jefferson Street had been converted into apartments He said everyone inside was able to get out of the house before firefighters arrived The chief said the call reporting a fire outside the home came in at 11 a.m "The officers arrived and saw the fire on the outside of the building extending up the side of the building," said Painesville Fire Chief Tom Hummel The fire's origin was an exterior wall on the east side of the structure devouring the roof as it grew to three alarms firefighters also battled frozen fire hydrants The chief said that forced firefighters to run hoses through nearby streets looking for additional sources of water We cannot stress strongly enough not to use torch to thaw frozen pipes or melt ice on or near structures," Hummel said Friday "With the coming colder temperatures this weekend and into next week we are cautioning residents to avoid this dangerous practice to help prevent more destructive and dangerous fires." a nonprofit aimed at helping those in need The Hope Chest has resided inside the Victoria Place Building for 13 years but was forced to move as the City of Painesville began revitalizing the downtown area RELATED: Downtown Painesville makeover forces 60-year-old nonprofit to relocate City of Painesville City Manager Doug Lewis told me in September 2024 that the city is investing more than $100 million within the city $25 million of that is allocated toward the Lake Erie College building Another $4 million went towards road improvements A big project the city has been lending a hand in is the Victoria Place Building The City of Painesville purchased the property in June 2023 Property ownership was then transferred to “Vic Place LLC” shortly after Approximately $25 million will be invested in revamping the Victoria Place Building 40,000 square foot of new office space which is upgraded office space in the city,” Lewis stated “We found there's a real need for that as well as restaurants within the building.” Lewis explained the need for improvements and modernization came from office space users unable to find adequate office space within Painesville With the downtown makeover it left the Hope Chest of Lake County struggling to find a new venue “[The Victoria Place Building] just [doesn’t] have any more space The other people that are downstairs right now they've really taken up everything and we're looking for a large amount of space We really thought there would be enough storefront or warehouse space or something that we would be able to move fairly easily to We need to be close to our clients,” the Hope Chest of Lake County President The Hope Chest needed to be fully moved out by Jan Milazzotto explained how she has always kept the faith they’d find a new space to call their own but how long it was taking chipped away at that “All of a sudden in October it was like everything started to fall into place,” she added Two rooms at 1400 Mentor Avenue in Painesville opened up “We had anonymous donors actually pay for some of the redoing of the store We had an opening between the two units come through and then we had someone donate their services for moving I'm telling you that was a godsend,” Milazzotto shared The Hope Chest has been out of commission since January 9 which Milazzotto said has taken a toll on their clients Store hours will consist of Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m Donations will be accepted Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m “We do a lot of our clients working through job and family services They make their appointments through there or another agency that works with us,” Milazzotto said Those families are able to shop at the Hope Chest for free The organization offers all sorts of clothing “We planned a three week break so that we could have enough time to get everything together,” Milazzotto stated With less than a week until the grand opening Milazzotto said there are a few final touches left to complete such as setting up the Hope Chest’s workroom for volunteers I think it's perfect for our volunteers,” Milazzotto said She’s hopeful the new venue will be the Hope Chest’s permanent home moving forward communities are preparing as rumors circulate about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids taking place Adding to the stress is the fact that President Trump removed restrictions preventing officers from entering sensitive areas about a third of the population is Hispanic which is the population that Veronica Isabel Dahleberg “It's not just watching a vehicle drive by Are they going to pick me up and take me away from my family?" Veronica told News 5 that ICE raids are nothing new to the community but they haven't heard of any taking place recently “We always get calls when people are detained and we've not received one,” said Veronica While in Cleveland Heights over the weekend at Cilantro Taqueria News 5 reported that ICE detained six individuals and took them to the Geauga County Safety Center The Chief Deputy there says he hasn't seen any unusual increase in ICE detainees a daily inmate from or a detainee from ice has been between 50 and 60 individuals,” said Geauga County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Thomas Rowan Veronica states immigrants feel like they are being hunted with political targets on their backs “The peace has been shattered in our community The fragile economic stability that we have here has been shattered People are missing work that's going to hurt their income Some kids aren't going to school,” said Veronica Adding to that fear is President Trump's removal of any restrictions on "Sensitive areas." ICE officers can now enter schools and hospitals — something the Ohio Attorney General supports you go where the people are when you're enforcing the law we don't have safe spaces,” said Dave Yost Superintendent Josh Englehart feels the worry is through the roof and he's trying to remind the community that no one can just walk up and gain access to a child “By granting access where there is no legal access granted we're in violation of the law if we do that So those protections are in place,” said Englehart as the only way an ICE officer can enter the school is if they have a warrant signed by a judge “We will respond as district administration as well as our school resources officer to ensure that any documentation that is provided to us is and will involve our legal counsel in making that determination,” said Englehart Painesville is putting new protocols in place in case they have to deal with any ICE officers Veronica encourages the community to stay calm and support each other as they face the uncertainty ahead “What we are going to do is we're going to stay organized and we're going to share information,” said Veronica the Painesville city council released the following statement regarding the immigration policy changes “The City of Painesville is a diverse community that values the safety security and tranquility of all of its residents In light of the proposed federal policy regarding deportations the City will continue to address immigration as we have in the past We will not speculate about the future policies on immigration and plan to monitor the situation very closely A Lake County grand jury has indicted the off-duty Cleveland police officer accused of firing a shot in a Painesville Township elementary school parking lot back on Halloween According to Lake County Court of Common Pleas records Sinclair is charged with one count of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle one count of improperly discharging a firearm at or in a school safety zone two counts of inducing panic and three counts of violating a protection order Court records show that he was issued a summons and ordered to appear in court on Friday at 8 a.m The Lake County Sheriff's Office arrested Sinclair after deputies alleged he fired a shot into a car window during a domestic dispute A school resource officer was able to detain him after a struggle The incident prompted a lockdown at Riverview Elementary School and postponed the school's Halloween parties A woman in the car described how Sinclair followed her to the school following an argument at a nearby daycare she said Sinclair then rammed his vehicle into hers which prevented her from leaving the school's parking lot She said Sinclair then got out of his vehicle and "walked around the front of the car with his gun pointed at the window Two nearby schools went into lockdown as first responders swarmed the scene in response shaking up parents who quickly came to take their children home RELATED: Off-duty Cleveland police officer arrested for shot fired in Painesville Twp. elementary school parking lot was once considered a rising star within the Cleveland Division of Police including felonious assault and kidnapping he briefly served as the department’s public information officer where he worked with the media to provide information to the public and schedule interviews with police officials City records show he was hired in April 2015 Cleveland’s current police spokesperson said Sinclair will be placed on leave pending the outcome of the shooting investigation and criminal charges Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInPAINESVILLE TOWNSHIP Ohio (WOIO) - A 27-year-old man died Friday night in a car crash in Painesville Township According to a Facebook post by the Lake County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded to the 500 block of Blackbrook Road for reports of a pickup truck stuck in a tree Deputies found a red Chevrolet pickup truck with heavy damage to the passenger side against a tree A 27-year-old man was unresponsive and trapped in the truck Painesville Township and Painesville fire departments responded to help remove the driver and set up a landing zone for a medical helicopter the University Hospitals Medevac was dispatched but the man was pronounced dead on the scene The Lake County Accident Reconstruction Team’s preliminary investigation revealed that the pickup truck was driving east on Blackbrook Road when it failed to negotiate a turn and traveled off the right side of the road The truck then struck an embankment rolling onto its side and striking a tree The man was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash Alcohol and speed are suspected to be factors in this crash This crash remains under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office By Avery WilliamsPublished: Mar 2025 at 4:40 PM EDTEmail This LinkShare on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInPAINESVILLE Ohio (WOIO) - Painesville firefighters say a semi-truck crash Wednesday afternoon led to an oil spill Firefighters said they have contacted the Lake County General Health District and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and there is no threat to sewers or waterways toppled off the semi-trailer and in the roadway The fire department said leaking hydraulic fluid from the lift prompted a closure of several streets for cleanup Ohio — The City of Painesville is currently working to revitalize the downtown area Doug Lewis told News 5 the city is investing more than $100 million within the city Approximately $25 million will be invested into revamping the Victoria Place Building once they are looking to upgrade their office space Hopefully we'll be able to attract new users,” Lewis said Lewis said the Victoria Place Building renovations have been on the table for a couple of years but the developer is now finalizing the financing and plans to move forward before the end of 2024 It all comes at a cost, though. And the Hope Chest of Lake County is right in the thick of it “Some of the tenants will remain and other tenants will probably end up moving out of the building because the cost for them to stay within the building once it's renovated will be too expensive,” Lewis added it's also increasing the value of office space or space within the downtown The Hope Chest of Lake County currently pays $500/month for 2,300 square feet It’s a price tag that could no longer be offered after its lease ends in November of 2025 The other people that are downstairs right now they've really taken up everything and we're looking for a large amount of space But we've already been looking for a year and nothing's been available We need to be close to our clients,” the Hope Chest of Lake County Trustees President The Hope Chest of Lake County has been around for about six decades Almost 15 years of that has been inside the Victoria Place Building “It was started by teachers in the area whose classes were small because kids weren't coming to school These teachers got together and at first started out of the trunk of their cars [and] graduated to one of the teacher’s garages At one point they were in a building that used to be [in downtown Painesville] that had a fire the owner of Victoria Place at that point invited us to come and have our store in Victoria Place,” Milazzotto explained Milazzotto told News 5 she feels absolute joy and happiness being able to help families over the decade she’s been a part of the organization “We want to be on a bus line if that's possible We'd rather stay in Painesville because most of our clients are from here but we'll keep our fingers crossed,” Milazzotto added The nonprofit’s operations will not pause as it looks to relocate “They're keeping lights on in the hallway where we are located They are keeping the elevators running so that we can get up and down to the third floor We also send all of our clothing that we can't use or out of season things They've been good about allowing us to use the loading dock area and making sure that the big garage doors are up so there's no disruption to the services,” Milazzotto stated Milazzotto explained they knew the day for relocation was coming so the nonprofit has been saving more money Those are things we've always been able to buy because our rent is so low we're going to have to do either fundraising or maybe find a company that's willing to help us out with the rent so that we can continue to do what we've been doing for almost 60 years,” Milazzotto added Milazzotto’s message to those families the Hope Chest of Lake County serves is The City of Painesville has been working with the nonprofit in hopes of finding a new location as well but hasn’t had any luck so far “Hope Chest definitely provides a benefit to the residents of Painesville and Lake County It would be a benefit to keep them here,” said Lewis “One of the things we did recommend is taking a look at some of the churches and then talking with them to see if any space is available.” If you’d like to financially donate to the Hope Chest of Lake County to help cover expenses checks can be made payable to Hope Chest at 1 Victoria Place Physical donations can be dropped off Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m The Victoria Place Building renovations are expected to take one to two years Ohio (WOIO) - Firefighters said a large ice jam in the Grand River has created “dangerous flooding conditions” from Fairport Harbor to Painesville Painesville Fire Chief Tom Hummel is urging everyone to stay from the river as conditions are “unpredictable and can change quickly.” Chief Hummel also said they are monitoring the situation along with other area safety departments we don’t want anyone going anywhere near that water,” said Captain John Niehus “The last thing anybody wants to do is try and go into the water today.” Niehus says after the river reaches eight feet it enters what the department calls an “action area.” This means the department is closely monitoring water levels It helps them get people out of the way of flooding Painesville Kiwanis Recreation Park at 301 Latimore St is closed until further notice due to the flooding Niehus advises looking out for alerts from the fire department to keep up to date on potential flooding has prompted Painesville city officials to close Kiwanis Park "A large ice jam from Fairport Harbor to Painesville has created dangerous flooding conditions with heavy ice and debris," the city said in a Facebook post The Painesville Fire Department asks that everyone stay away from the river which shows ice and debris butting up to the St Fire Chief Thomas Hummel said firefighters have been monitoring the situation closely He's been in touch with Fairport Harbor Fire Chief Bob Lloyd and Lake County Emergency Management to see about getting a cutter to the mouth of the river to break up the ice jam With the forecast showing more rain in the next few days Hummel said flooding remains a serious concern The Lake Metroparks said that Grand River Landing is also temporarily closed Ice jams happen when chunks of ice clump together to block the flow of a river This can then cause flooding in communities near a river rapidly melting snow and ice causes rivers and streams to rise or swell the layer of ice on top starts to break apart into chunks of ice Watch this video on the science of ice jams: RELATED: What are ice jams, and why do they happen? 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