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Report says alert neighbor helped police catch Cleveland officer accused of urinating on girl

The neighbor apparently thought he looked "suspicious," and police were able to match a license plate.

EUCLID, Ohio — Police have released new details regarding the Cleveland officer who is accused of urinating on and attempting to kidnap a 12-year-old girl last week.

WARNING: Some of the following details may be difficult to read. Viewer discretion is advised.

According to a report released by the Euclid Police Department, Officer Solomon Nhiwatiwa was off-duty when he allegedly approached the child in his his navy blue SUV while she was waiting for the school bus on Euclid Ave. last Friday morning. She told investigators he asked her multiple questions, including if she needed a ride and what her name was. She refused to give him information, and he later drove out of site.

However, just moments later, she says Nhiwatiwa returned walking on the sidewalk with his genitals exposed. He allegedly urinated on her "head, upper body, and legs" all while appearing to film the ordeal with his cell phone. When the girl asked, "What's your problem?" she claims he responded, "What's wrong b---h?"

After the suspect left, the girl FaceTimed her mom, who immediately left her work in Richmond Heights and came home. The mother put the girl's urine-soaked clothes in a bag, and the two went to the police station around 7:30 a.m. The child completed a written statement, giving a description of the suspect and his car.

Upon reviewing the statement, investigators were able to match those descriptions to a prior incident that occurred on the same day, when a woman noticed a "suspicious" male standing in her driveway who did not respond to her questions. Police were able to get a license plate number from the suspect vehicle in that incident, and the car was later matched back to Solomon Nhiwatiwa.

With this new information, Nhiwatiwa's photo was placed in an array with several other's and shown to the 12-year-old girl. She picked him out of the array, apparently stating "with 100% certainty" that he was the man who attacked her. The woman who first noticed him also picked him out of the lineup "with 75% certainty," adding that none of the other photos matched the suspect. Nhiwatiwa turned himself in days later and was officially indicted on Wednesday.

Officials say there were two security cameras at a home across the street that "may be helpful" in the investigation. The girl's clothes are also being examined for evidence.

Nhiwatiwa, a five-year veteran of the Cleveland Division of Police, is currently suspended without pay. He faces eight criminal charges, including attempted kidnapping with a sexual motivation specification.

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