For Immediate Release

Cleveland, Ohio – Wanted fugitive Gregory Johnson, age 42, was added to the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force’s Fugitive of the Week on Monday after allegedly taking the 7 year old son of his girlfriend without permission from her home on Bell Avenue in Elyria. Johnson snatched the child as he was sleeping while his mother was returning home late that evening. Johnson refused to return the child to his mother and eventually left the child unattended in the Greyhound Bus station in Cleveland in the early morning hours after he found out police were searching for him. The child was safely recovered but Johnson was on the run.

Information was obtained today by the Task Force that Johnson was hiding out in Riverside Estates on the west side of Cleveland near W. 28th Street. The Task Force immediately responded to the area and located the car that was used during the kidnapping. Task Force Officers conducted surveillance on the vehicle throughout this morning. At approximately 11:30 a.m., Johnson was seen approaching the car and was removed from the vehicle and arrested without incident before being able to flee. The vehicle was towed to Elyria and Johnson was also transported to Elyria Police Department to be served with multiple warrants. Additional charges are pending from Elyria Police Department related to the kidnapping incident.

Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Roberto Robinson stated, “This was great police work by the officers working this investigation. We are thankful that the child is safe and that this fugitive is now in custody.”
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of a known fugitive is encouraged to contact the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force at: 1-866-4-WANTED. Callers may remain anonymous. The “Dangerous Dozen” fugitives can be viewed at http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/oh-n/fugitives/pdf/dangerous_dozen.pdf.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force – Lorain County Division is composed of the following federal, state and local agencies: Amherst Police Department, Avon Police Department, Avon Lake Police Department, Brunswick Police Department, Brunswick Hills Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Department of Housing and Urban Development – OIG, Elyria Police Department, Lorain County Adult Probation, Lorain Police Department, North Ridgeville Police Department, Oberlin Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Sheffield Village Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service and Vermilion Police Department.

Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov.

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