18-Year-Old Ohio Woman Admits Fatally Shooting Off-Duty Officer During Carjacking

An 18-year-old Ohio woman accused of killing an off-duty officer during a carjacking on New Year's eve has admitted to the killing, authorities said.

The suspect identified as Tamara Unique McLoyd of Garfield Heights appeared in court Monday on charges of aggravated murder for fatally shooting 25-year-old Cleveland Officer Shane Bartek at a parking lot of an apartment complex on Cleveland’s West Side.

McLoyd who was arrested Saturday has confessed to ambushing Bartek and shooting him twice on his back when he tried to fight back during a carjacking that happened at 6 p.m. Friday, Cleveland.com reported, citing court records.

After attacking Bartek, McLoyd drove off his car which she later gave to 25-year-old Anthony Butler Jr., Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Jose Torres told the court. Butler Jr. was arrested following a high-speed chase that ended after he crashed the car into a fence at an apartment complex in Euclid. He is held on a $5 million bond and has been charged with receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding.

Bartek joined the Cleveland police department in 2019 and worked as a patrol officer in the Fifth District in the city’s northeast corner.

Investigators recovered a gun from Bartek's car that is believed to be used for the fatal shooting.

McLoyd is a suspect in several armed heists across the Cleveland area. She was charged with robbing a Cleveland pizza shop in November. McLoyd along with another person reportedly stole money from the shop's cash register on Nov. 2 and robbed the employees’ keys and cellphones after pointing guns at them, New York Post reported.

Though a warrant was issued against McLoyd on charges of robbery, she was not arrested until Saturday. During the arrest, she was also on probation following convictions in Lorain County and was previously charged with misdemeanor theft in Berea, according to court records.

The court on Monday set McLoyd’s bond at $125,000 bond on charges of aggravated robbery stemming from the case in November. Meanwhile, her bond is set at $5 million for the fatal shooting.