Teen Charged With Assaulting Man Outside of Anatolia Café Will Be Tried in Adult Court

A 17-year-old from Shaker Heights charged with June 18 will be tried as an adult.

The hearing for the teen, Edwonte Bryant, was Sept. 1, said Maria Russo, spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason's Office.

On June 18, prosecutors say the 17-year-old attacked a man outside of .

The 56-year-old victim was having dinner with his wife and two others at the restaurant on Lee Road before the attack occurred, said Ryan Miday, former spokesperson for the prosecutor's office, in July. They saw a group of teens outside and decided to wait a few minutes before leaving. 

When they walked out, Bryant jumped out from behind a bush, turned around to a group of his friends nearby and said, "Let's do them," Miday said. 

The man told the group to back off, and he, his wife and two friends began to quickly walk away, trying to avoid a confrontation.

The man called 911 as they were walking away. Bryant approached them again, and tried to grab the man's wallet. The man again called 911, and the teenager pulled out an object from his pants and hit the man's face with it. The man fell on the ground, and as he was lying there, Bryant searched his pockets. The teen ran away, empty-handed. 

Later, Cleveland Heights police came and arrested the suspect. The man who was attacked suffered broken bones on his face and had to have six stitches as a result of his injuries. 

Bryant was charged with felonious assault and aggravated robbery. His pretrial hearing was at 8:30 a.m. July 6 in Judge Patrick Corrigan's courtroom in Juvenile Court. 

The prosecutor's office filed motions to take the 17-year-old into custody and move him to adult court, Miday said in July.

"We file (these) charges when we believe the severity of the crime warrants trying the juvenile as an adult," Miday said, adding that other factors are taken into consideration as well.

The teen also has additional cases pending in Maple Heights, Miday said. He was charged with burglary and receiving stolen property in three burglaries, two on March 30 and one on March 31, and he is accused of stealing flat-screen TVs, shoes, a computer and other electronics and items.

The next court date has not been set yet, according to the court docket on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court website.

Note: Charges above do not indicate conviction.