Canfield cops shutter El Patio Motel

By Denise Dick

The motel has been linked to reports of vandalism, assaults and prostitution.

El Patio Motel

Video

CANFIELD — “Police department. Anybody home?”

That announcement and a knock at the door greeted tenants of El Patio Motel, West Main Street, on Wednesday afternoon.

City police cleared tenants after a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court magistrate granted a temporary restraining order to the city, authorizing the business to be closed, padlocked and boarded.

“A hearing on a preliminary injunction will be June 8 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court,” said Chief Chuck Colucci.

Police arrived about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday after a morning hearing before the magistrate. They notified the motel’s owner, Arthur Klein, 67, of Akron-Canfield Road, and awaited his arrival before going door-to-door, notifying the tenants of the 28-room motel and explaining that they needed to find other lodging. Klein’s wife, Alice, also is listed as an owner in court documents.

“Nice,” a visibly annoyed Klein told the chief as he pulled into the motel driveway. “Thanks. This is really nice.”

Klein declined to comment.

Caprice Manos of Florida loaded clothes, books and other items into her car, planning to go to the Colonial Motel, also owned by Klein, down the street. “I’m from Florida,” Manos said. “I don’t really have anywhere else to go.”

She’s been staying at El Patio for about two weeks, visiting family in the area.

“I’ve been very quiet here for weeks,” Manos said.

The city wants the property to be declared a public nuisance.

“From 2000 to 2009, there have been numerous criminal offenses including numerous complaints and reports alleging theft, robbery, assault, domestic violence, vandalism, prostitution and lewd activities at the premises, which led to several investigations, arrests and convictions,” the restraining order says.

Last month, five employees at El Patio and the Colonial were charged with offenses related to prostitution.

Four have pleaded guilty and been convicted. The only unresolved case is that of Klein, who faces charges in common pleas court of promoting prostitution and conspiracy to promote prostitution with forfeiture specifications.

The Colonial Motel, which is located in the township, isn’t subject to the temporary restraining order. It’s part of an ongoing investigation by the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department.

Police used informants and undercover officers to gather evidence and video and audio recordings.

The city’s complaint presented to the magistrate says that on 10 occasions, undercover officers and agents entered the motel posing as customers and prostitutes.

They “rented motel rooms for ‘short periods of time’ averaging 30 minutes,” the complaint says.

The officers and agents “paid reduced rates for these short-term rentals and periodically engaged management and Klein in conversation resulting in incriminating responses,” it says.

Both of the motel managers, who were convicted, also reported to police that Klein was aware that acts of prostitution were occurring at the motel. Klein, they said, directed them to accept prostitutes and customers at the motel in violation of the law, the complaint says.

“Klein’s conversations and comments clearly indicate that he was aware of the criminal acts occurring at the premises,” it says.

Detective Sgt. Andy Bodzak said police would secure the belongings of tenants who were not at the motel when police arrived to shut it down. Transportation to other lodging facilities would also be provided for those who had no means of going somewhere else on their own.

Colucci said he’s received many calls from residents asking why the motel continued to operate.

He said the city had to follow established procedures to close the business, and police weren’t able to provide additional information while the investigation continued.

“Their calls weren’t ignored,” Colucci said.

denise_dick@vindy.com