CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Firefighters battled a grease fire inside a restaurant in the city’s University neighborhood Tuesday morning.

Flames broke out at BurgerIM in the 11400 block of Euclid Ave. around 9:20 a.m.

Cleveland Fire Lt. Mike Norman said there was grease in the hood of the stove, and when someone started cooking, it started the fire.

According to Lt. Norman, the sprinklers inside the restaurant put out the flames.

At this time, damage is estimated at $25,000.

The apartment building was evacuated as a precaution.

Since the fire was inside a restaurant, health officials will now respond to the scene and determine when they can reopen.

There were no injuries.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A New Jersey couple has been indicted for allegedly running an investment scam on real estate properties in Northeast Ohio.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the couple is being accused of taking investors’ money with a promise to receive high returns on the development of real estate properties mostly in the Cleveland area.

The scam operated as a Ponzi scheme, with victims being misled and lied to, and some early investors paid with funds from later investors.

The DOJ said the couple are 50-year-old Gregory Parker and 50-year-old Danielle Parker, both of New Jersey, and both are being indicted with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

According to allegations in the 65-page indictment, the married couple carried about the real estate investment scheme between January 2017 to December 2023.

Victims believed they were purchasing properties in the Cleveland and East Cleveland areas, to be developed into multi-family dwellings that would generate above-market returns from rental income.

Instead, the Parkers took the investors’ money and used it to repay earlier investors and fund their lavish lifestyle.

Investigators learned the couple would host seminars in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio, including one in the Cleveland Hyatt Regency in May 2022, the DOJ said.

People and potential victim investors would attend the seminars after seeing the Parkers’ luxurious lifestyle on a social media platform.

Victim investors were typically charged between $2,000 to $5,000 to enroll in the Parker’s real estate investment and mentorship program, and then the couple would purportedly obtain rental properties on the victim’s behalf in exchange for an agreed-upon down payment.

The DOJ said victims would receive little information about the properties they believed to have purchased, and when they would contact the Parkers, the couple would often have delayed responses or run-around excuses.

Investigators found that some victims never received a property, or they received a property without a clear title, or others received a condemned, dilapidated or otherwise uninhabitable property and were forced to sell, or attempt to sell, the property they did receive at a loss.

While the indictment focuses on 13 victims, investigators believe there are more, the DOJ said.

The Department of Justice said if you believe to be a victim in the matter to contact the Cleveland FBI ParkerInvestorTips@fbi.gov with “Parker Investor” in the subject line.

If the couple is convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including prior criminal records, if any, roles in the offense, and the characteristics of the violations.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO)– Ohio’s Blue Alert notification system asks the public for help when a law enforcement officer’s life is in danger.

According to the National Fraternal Order of Police’s monthly update,108 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty through April 30 of this year nationwide. Fourteen of those officers lost their lives in those four months.

The dangers of policing have hit close to home recently in Northeast Ohio. Three officers have been killed since 2024: Lorain Police Officer Phillip Wagner, Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and Euclid Police Officer Jacob Derbin.

We spoke with Joe Mannion, president of the Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society, about the importance of Blue Alerts.

He retired as a lieutenant with Ohio State Highway Patrol after more than 27 years.

“An officer wants to go home every day just like everybody else from their job, a normal person’s job. The dangers, they know what they’re getting into, but it still doesn’t hide the fact that, hey, we’re human,” he said.

The system has been activated multiple times for emergencies in Northeast Ohio, including when three Lorain police officers were shot in July 2025 and Officer Phillip Wagner died, and when Euclid Officer Jacob Derbin was shot and killed in May 2024.

How Blue Alerts work

Two criteria must be met for a Blue Alert to be issued in Ohio.

First, a law enforcement officer has been seriously injured or killed and a suspect has not been caught, or an on-duty officer is missing and their safety is at risk.

Second, there must be enough information on the suspect or circumstances to show that its activation could help find a suspect or a missing officer.

“The police needs the public’s help to be alert if something’s going on in their area and to make sure they keep their eyes open and report something that they see,” Mannion said.

Ohio created the Blue Alert system in 2012. According to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, Blue Alerts don’t happen very often.

We reached out to the Ohio Department of Public Safety to see how many times they have sent out Blue Alerts, but we have not heard back yet.

Across the nation, 37 states have Blue Alert plans.

How to receive alerts

In Ohio, Blue Alerts go out over social media and email. They may also appear on signs while driving on the highway.

Unlike Amber Alerts, Blue Alerts do not automatically appear on phones. Those who want to receive Blue Alerts by phone or email must opt into the program through the Ohio Attorney General’s website here.

When it comes to Blue Alerts, Mannion said people who see a suspect should not try to apprehend them.

“Call 911 right away,” he said. “It’s for the safety of the community they’re in. And it helps keep a track of where the suspect might be heading by the different calls that the agencies receive while on this Blue Alert.”

You can learn more about Ohio’s Blue Alert program here.

National Police Week

A parade and memorial service is scheduled Friday in downtown Cleveland during National Police Week.

“Friday is really the big day,” Mannion said. “It’s when a lot of emotions are spent with the survivors. There’ll be new survivors coming into our fold. But the older survivors who’ve been around, they take them in. It’s one big family.”

The Greater Cleveland Peace Officers Memorial Society is hosting a number of events for National Police Week. You can find a list of the events here.

Need an investigation? Contact 19 Investigates with your request.