Two Niles women arrested pending drug charges; flee from officers

Published 11:23 pm Wednesday, December 10, 2003

By By JOANNA ARNETT / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Two females were arrested Saturday for outstanding warrants, liquor violation and intent to sell marijuana.
Niles Police observed a male and two females, later identified as Whitney Blake Hazelwood, 19, of 965 S. 14th St., Niles, and Suesann Rae Gross, 19, of 703 N. Front St., Niles, around Second and Howard streets Saturday, walking toward apartments near Riverfront Park
The policeman in his patrol car pulled to the curb and asked the group to stop walking. Hazelwood started running toward the apartments. The officer instructed Gross and the male to stay by his car and advised dispatch that he was pursuing Hazelwood on foot.
The officer allegedly chased her into an apartment building. As she ran out the back, he ran around the side and saw two subjects entering 703 Front St. At that time, backup officers arrived and scouted out the area as the first officer returned to his patrol car. Gross and the male were not there.
According to police, the first officer returned to the apartments and listened at the door for sounds. He observed the male who had been with Gross descending the stairs. The male saw him and ran back up the stairs with the officer in pursuit. The officer saw the male pounding on a door and the officer held him as the apartment door opened, revealing Gross.
Upon questioning, Gross claimed to not know what the officer was talking about and agreed to let him search her apartment. The officer found, in plain view, marijuana seeds and stems in the bedroom, along with some small scales and torn plastic baggies.
A backup officer found Hazelwood in another apartment and it was learned Hazelwood had two warrents for her arrest.
She had also allegedly been drinking. Officers obtained a search warrant for Gross's apartment and found six bags of marijuana, totaling 65 grams, and a cigar case that tested positive for cocaine.