Witness to Lima drive-by murder turns himself into police

5/1/2008

LIMA, Ohio A passenger who police believe was in the car of a Lima woman when she was killed Tuesday in a drive-by shooting has turned himself in and has been interviewed by police, authorities said.

Durelle L. Grant, 19, of Lima, who police believe fled after the crash, turned himself in about 5 p.m. Wednesday when he came to the Lima police station, Lt. Jim Baker said.

Wendy Westergaard-Westwood, 38, was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. in St. Rita s Mercy Medical Center, about an hour after she was shot while driving westbound on West Market Street west of downtown.

"Right now he is a witness," Lieutenant Baker said. He refused to discuss further details of the interview, citing an ongoing investigation Thursday.

There were no charges in the case as of Thursday afternoon, the lieutenant said.

Police said shots were fired at her Jeep Cherokee about 10:30 p.m., possibly from a blue minivan. Ms. Westergaard-Westwood then lost control of her vehicle, which hit a tree on the north side of West Market and overturned, pinning her underneath.

An autopsy conducted Wednesday by the Lucas County Coroner s Office indicated the gunshot, rather than the crash, caused Ms. Westergaard-Westwood s death, according to Lima police.

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