MEDINA, Ohio — Medina Township police officers who took part in the rescue of a 7-year-old girl during an Amber Alert situation last year were honored during a ceremony hosted by the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are proud to recognize and extend our heartfelt appreciation to Chief John Minek, Lieutenant Todd Zieja, Detective Mike Oyler (not pictured), Officer Aric Ubienski, and Officer Harold Lora for their outstanding efforts and professionalism in response to the Amber Alert critical incident on November 11, 2024,” the department wrote in a post on Facebook. “Thanks to their swift action and collaboration with other local agencies, a missing 7-year-old girl was safely recovered.”
A LOOK BACK
Medina Township police teamed up with the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Brunswick Division of Police, Montville Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, and Medina Fire Department on Nov. 11, 2024, in response to a suspect who had abducted his daughter hours earlier in Empire, Ohio, but did not have custodial rights.
The suspect and his daughter fled north in a pickup truck, then switched to a U-Haul truck in Fairlawn. That evening, Brunswick police were alerted to possible presence of the truck in a parking lot and a chase ensued. The suspect fled south on I-71, where police deployed stop sticks that damaged one of the U-Haul’s wheels…