On June 3, 2026, at approximately 11:06 AM, Mentor Police Officers responded to the area of 9570 Headlands Road after a witness reported that a white SUV had struck a male on a bicycle.
Officers spoke with two victims:
- A 68-year-old male from Mentor reported that a male operating a white SUV stopped, exited the vehicle, physically assaulted him, and threw his bicycle into a nearby pond.
- A 72-year-old male from Mentor reported that the same vehicle crossed the double yellow line and struck him head-on while he was riding his bicycle. The SUV then continued westbound on Headlands Road.
Both victims sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The witness provided dispatch with the license plate of the suspect vehicle, which was registered to Michael Leppelmeier, 42, of 4755 Orchard Road, Mentor. Officers responded to that address to make contact with him.
Upon arrival, Leppelmeier exited the residence and approached officers while armed with a knife. Officers deployed a taser, which struck him; however, he was able to turn and retreat back inside the home.
Officers established a perimeter around the residence. Over the following hours, multiple attempts were made to persuade Leppelmeier to surrender. Mentor SWAT responded to the scene and breached several windows to insert a drone, which Leppelmeier damaged. Additional windows and doors were breached, and CS gas was deployed inside the residence. Despite these efforts, Leppelmeier refused to exit.
Shortly after 6:30 PM, SWAT officers entered the home and took Leppelmeier into custody. He was transported to and remains at Hillcrest Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Once released from the hospital, he will be charged in Lake County Common Pleas Court with Aggravated Vehicular Assault, three counts of Felonious Assault, and Robbery. Additional charges are pending.