Blade readers help capture 8 fugitives

9/10/2010

A murder suspect who eluded police for two months was captured after a reader of The Blade tipped them off.

Terrance Pernell, 27, of 312 Kenilworth Ave. was taken into custody Wednesday night for the June 27 shooting death of Ryland Garrett. He was held at the Lucas County jail last night in lieu of $750,000 bond.

Mr. Pernell is among at least eight fugitives who were caught thanks to readers of The Blade, who tipped off police to the suspects' whereabouts after seeing them among the 25 mug shots printed Tuesday in the first of a new weekly ad.

Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre said Crime Stopper tips to his agency have multiplied from five or six calls per day to about 30 calls per day since the ad was published in The Blade.

"Many callers were very positive, very appreciative," Chief Navarre said of the ad. "They said sometimes on television the picture is too fast. This way they can keep it, look at it, and show it to other family members."

The homicide victim, Garrett, apparently was attempting to help a friend who was in an early morning fight when he was shot in the 100 block of East Bancroft Street at Vermont Avenue, police said.

Mr. Pernell was arrested after a reader of The Blade told police the suspect was living in an apartment in the area of Upton Avenue and Freeman Street. SWAT crews spent about an hour in the area, and couldn't initially identify in which of several apartments he was living. It was Sgt. Brent Scoble who recognized an acquaintance of the suspect, and authorities stopped the person's car for questioning. The acquaintance identified Mr. Pernell's apartment and the suspect surrendered peacefully as officers surrounded the building, Chief Navarre said.

The tipster will be paid because "we wouldn't have found the acquaintance if we hadn't been there as a result of the Crime Stopper tip," Chief Navarre said.

People who provide tips that lead to arrests can receive cash rewards from the Crime Stopper program and can remain anonymous, identified only by a number, said Deputy U.S. Marshal Rodney Hartzell of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force.

The task force previously had captured almost 200 suspects at large through its partnership with WNWO-TV, Channel 24.

The full-color page of mug shots that appeared in the Tuesday edition of the paper under the heading "Wanted" included suspects identified in connection with thefts, burglaries, robberies, and assaults in the city of Toledo and Lucas County, as well as 10 surrounding counties. The advertisement is to appear weekly.

"These were all dead-end warrants we just ran into the ground," Mr. Hartzell said.

Another suspect, Michael D. Crawford, 38, of 3418 Glenwood Ave., was hiding in a closet before he was captured Wednesday. The day before, he had crashed his vehicle into another car and fled on foot when approached by authorities, Mr. Hartzell said. Mr. Crawford was held in lieu of $10,000 bond in the Lucas County jail on two counts of breaking and entering.

Sharonce M. Tucker, 21, of 603 Euclid Ave. was caught yesterday. He was charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly broke a bottle against his brother-in-law's face June 20. He was held without bond in the Lucas County jail last night.

Stephen Marquis Turner, 24, of 1208 Parkside Blvd. was trying to climb out a window to elude police before he was caught yesterday. He was charged with armed robbery after allegedly threatening a man at gunpoint at East Central and Stickney avenues Aug. 10. He was held without bond last night.

Travelle D. Broadnax, 23, 1261 Vance St., wanted for robbery and assault, was arrested at a home on Oakwood Wednesday. He was held in lieu of $20,000 for allegedly punching and robbing a woman of her purse on Lagrange Street on July 17.

Arrested on the first day of the ad were: Roland J. Carnes, 35, of 4253 Wickford Point Drive, charged with felonious assault; Larry Taylor, 58, of 1251 Lincoln Ave., charged with felonious assault, and Brett Farless, 25, of Swanton charged with burglary.

Before the ad was printed, authorities arrested at least four others who were featured, including: Corbley Duke, for state parole violations; Jeremiah Brewer, for assault; Ricardo Pearson, for aggravated assault, and Tierra Jones, for aggravated assault.

Joseph H. Zerbey IV, president and general manager of The Blade, said he is excited the advertisement generated such a response and that he is committed to running updated "Wanted" ads on Tuesdays with or without the support of sponsors.

"It is truly remarkable that it worked that well. But it continually surprises me how well The Blade is read. It just proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind," Mr. Zerbey said. "It provides a public service that no other medium can do. None of them, not a weekly print, not a television station."

- Bridget Tharp