Suspects in OSU coach carjacking held on bond after court appearance

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Four suspects have been arrested in Cleveland in connection to the Monday afternoon carjacking of an Ohio State football coach.

Two of the suspects, Ja’Brian Howard, 18, and Anyrie Wallace, 18, appeared in court Wednesday morning.

Howard is being held on $650,000 bond.

Howard was given $400,000 for the carjacking and $250,000 for a previous ATM robbery.

Wallace is being held on $100,000 bond.

Police say they are investigating the fifth district carjacking after the 28-year-old man told police his car was taken at gunpoint around 2 p.m..

A representative with The Ohio State University reports the coach is ‘OK’ after being carjacked while on a recruiting trip.

Cleveland City Council Member Mike Polensek confirmed the coach was in Cleveland visiting Ginn Academy.

Officers confirmed the Cleveland Police helicopter tracked down the stolen vehicle, which was speeding and driving erratically.

Police placed Howard, Wallace and two juvenile males under arrest.

Officers say the suspected firearm was found at the scene.

Prosecutors filed a high bond request for Ja’Brian Howard, he was also recently charged with an aggravated robbery that occurred in Cleveland last month.

Councilman Polensek told 19 News he found out about the carjacking from his own sources. He’s calling for transparency regarding the violence in Cleveland.

“I’m chairman of public safety for Cleveland City Council and on the board of Ginn Academy from day one. CPD has yet to notify me of the incident nor has the CMSD administration,” he said.

19 News reached out to CMSD but at the time of this broadcast, we have not heard back.

The incident is still under investigation and Councilman Polensek is calling for action.

“We want them prosecuted to the fullest extent on the law. If they’re minors, I want their parents as well held accountable if we can. What I’ve also said is we know we have a major problem with police visibility in the streets. We want the Ohio Highway Patrol back in here. We want them patrolling our streets along with Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s deputies. Because right now, we know we’re in a critical state within the Cleveland Police Department with regard to numbers and that’s not going to change anytime soon, going into next year,” said Polensek. “But we need Ohio Highway Patrol back up here doing patrols in our neighborhood. The car thefts, the carjackings is absolutely outrageous and this only reinforces what we’ve all been experiencing. You want to commit a crime, there has to be accountability, there has to be consequences,” he said.

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