North Ridgeville police: North Olmsted man lied about alleged hate crime

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https://chroniclet.com/news/372324/north-ridgeville-police-north-olmsted-man-lied-about-alleged-hate-crime/

 

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Nov 15, 2023 3:47 PM

 

The North Ridgeville Police Department announced on Wednesday that it had arrested a North Olmsted man for allegedly falsifying a hate crime, among other charges.

Hesham Ayyad, 20, and his brother Khalil Ayyad, 19, both of North Olmsted, were arrested Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of assault and domestic violence.

Hesham Ayyad also was charged with making false alarms, a felony, falsification and obstructing official business.

According to a news release from North Ridgeville police, Hesham Ayyad called police on Oct. 22 to report that he had been “almost” struck by a vehicle on Cook Road near the border of North Ridgeville and Olmsted Township.

When North Ridgeville officers arrived, Hesham Ayyad had told Olmsted Township officers he had been struck by a vehicle in a racially motivated attack and had already been taken to the hospital.

North Ridgeville police launched an investigation and, according to the department, used video surveillance to determine his claims were false.

“It was found that the alleged victim had lied to investigators about being struck by a vehicle and also lied about the racial slurs that were said to him at the time of the incident,” the release said.

Additionally, the department said its investigation determined that injuries Hesham Ayyad had, which he alleged came from being struck by a vehicle, were actually caused by a physical fight with his brother, Khalil Ayyad.

Both brothers were booked into the Lorain County Jail and were released Wednesday after an initial court appearance regarding their domestic violence charges.

Khalil Ayyad was released on no-cost bail, and Hesham Ayyad posted $10,000 bail.

Hesham Ayyad has another court date set for Tuesday on all charges.

When the incident first was reported, the Council on American Islamic Relations of Cleveland released a statement alleging Hesham Ayyad was struck by a driver yelling anti-Palestinian statements.

The organization called on North Ridgeville police and the FBI to investigate the incident as a hate crime.

CAIR Cleveland was contacted Wednesday afternoon, but interim Executive Director Faten Odeh was unavailable for comment.