Inset: Ronald Loftis (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction). Background: Surveillance camera from Loftis allegedly attacking a woman in Cleveland, Ohio (WEWS).
An Ohio man allegedly robbed and pistol-whipped a woman waiting for a bus, then minutes later shot a woman in the face while stealing her car and throwing her 1-year-old son into the snow.
Ronald Loftis, 47, was indicted earlier this month on a slew of charges including attempted murder, felonious assault and robbery. Law&Crime previously reported about the shooting and carjacking of a woman in Cleveland the morning of Jan. 2. Local ABC affiliate WEWS reported that Loftis allegedly assaulted another woman about 30 minutes before the carjacking.
In that case, a woman was waiting for a bus when Loftis allegedly walked up to her and said “Sorry to do this to you.” He reportedly proceeded to pull out a gun and fire a shot into the ground before pistol-whipping her and robbing her of her cellphone. The attack was captured on street cameras. He later returned the phone.
The second incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. Jan. 2 in the 7900 block of Madison Avenue in Cleveland, police said. Loftis allegedly walked up to the victim, pointed a gun in her face and demanded money. When the victim said she didn”t have any cash, Loftis allegedly grabbed for her keys and they began wrestling. During the struggle, the gun went off, striking her in the face.
“This brazen and reckless act placed not only the victim’s life at risk, but also endangered a child who was present during the incident,” cops wrote.
The victim’s daughter told local Fox affiliate WJW that Loftis grabbed the boy and threw him out of the car and into the snow before driving away. Cops recovered the stolen car not long after the robbery. Further investigation revealed Loftis as the suspect.
Officers arrested Loftis on Jan. 3 at a home on the city’s east side. He was taken to the Cuyahoga County Jail on charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery.
“This was a senseless and violent crime carried out with complete disregard for human life,” Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy A. Todd said in a statement. “Because of the decisive and relentless work of our officers and detectives, this dangerous individual is now off our streets. Our thoughts are with the victim as she recovers from this traumatic event. We are grateful that she is in stable condition and that the child who was with her was not physically harmed.”
Loftis remains in jail on a $500,000 bond. Court records indicate that he has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1997.
The victim’s daughter told WEWS that she hopes the suspect remains behind bars.
“I just wish we could get justice for my mom and that lady because there’s no reason the guy should be out on the streets or anything,” she said.
