Alert witnesses placing 9-1-1 calls to Lorain County officers may have saved the life of a woman Tuesday who was shot in the back and stuffed in the trunk of an escaping car.
Witnesses spotted and heard shouts from the woman in the partially closed trunk of a car heading north on West Road about 1 p.m.
Their calls sent sheriffs, State Highway Patrol officers and even Lorain County Metro Parks rangers scrambling after the suspect.
The chase ended when rangers caught Matthew Plas, 25, of Wellington, in the Carlisle Reservation. He is in Lorain County Jail on charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.
The victim, a 43-year-old woman, was flown by helicopter to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland with a single gunshot wound to the middle of her upper back. Sheriff's officials had not released her name pending family notification, but Resendez said the injury is not believed to be life-threatening.
Resendez said officers spoke to the woman only briefly and believe the incident started at the park's Duck Pond Picnic Area.
He said he does not believe the woman knew her attacker. He also said it may have been an attempted sexual assault but investigators are still determining that.
The Highway Patrol tried to stop the car -- easily identified because of its teal color -- minutes after witnesses reported seeing the woman in the trunk. It pulled into a driveway on Oberlin-Elyria Road and the driver ran away.
Police found him in the park after searching about 30 minutes. The woman was found minutes later walking along the road seeking help.
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2008/05/callers_report_woman_in_trunk.html
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