Bath Township man wanted ex-girlfriend to know that money has no value to him
By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal
BATH TWP. – In an effort to prove to his ex-girlfriend that money means nothing, a 20-year-old Granger Road man smashed an SUV and sent another luxury vehicle into a creek, township police said.
A 2-month-old Volkswagen Touareg blaring rock music from the sound system sat in the front yard of Ryan Johnson’s home Monday — severely damaged from smashing through the security gate, uprooting a tree, then being assaulted by golf clubs and boulders. A Mercedes SL500 was parked in Yellow Creek, under the driveway bridge leading to Johnson’s mansion.
The two vehicles were worth more than $100,000, police said.
Johnson told police he did it for his ex-girlfriend. Last week, she asked police to accompany her to the home so she could remove some belongings.
Police were called to Johnson’s home around 3 p.m. Monday by neighbors who thought they heard an explosion.
One neighbor, who asked not to be identified, said he went outside after hearing the noise.
People were running around, making sure everyone was OK,'' the man said.A kid was out there with huge boulders, breaking out windows. He was throwing stones at it. Later he came out with a set of golf clubs and was teeing off on it.”
The “kid,” identified by police as Johnson, was still smashing the SUV when police arrived.
Lt. Rich Munsey, acting police chief, said Johnson wasn’t breaking any laws.
“You can crash through a gate and beat up your car with golf clubs and a machete as long as you’re on your property,” Munsey said.
Johnson paid $933,000 for the 4,200-square-foot house last fall after seeing it advertised on billboards aimed at attracting basketball star LeBron James and golfer Ben Curtis, according to an Akron Beacon Journal story in September.
Johnson, who said then that he made his money from Internet ventures, told police responding to a loud music complaint at his home Thursday that he was unsure how to turn the music down “because it is on a computer module,” according to a police report of the incident.
He was arrested April 19 on a charge of obstructing official business after a Fairlawn police officer reported that Johnson refused the officer’s request to produce a driver’s license and remain in his vehicle while being cited for a fire lane violation at Summit Mall.
Cruisers drove by the house Monday at regular intervals, monitoring the situation. Cars on the busy road slowed to look at the SUV. A couple of drivers pulled into the driveway to make sure no one was injured in the vehicle.
No one called to complain about the music blaring from the SUV, Munsey said.
Johnson is wanted on a warrant from Fairlawn for failing to appear in court on the obstructing charge, but the Summit County Jail was full so Fairlawn police declined to arrest Johnson.
About 5 p.m. Monday, a man came out of the house and turned off the music, but he refused to comment on the incident or identify himself. Shortly after, Johnson walked down the driveway wearing long khaki shorts and a skull cap. He waved to a photographer and writer.
“I’m retired,” was all he would say in response to questions.
