Holly MatkinCleveland, OH – The woman accused of murdering Cleveland Police Officer Shane Bartek during an armed carjacking on New Year’s Eve was indicted on a string of additional armed robberies on Wednesday.
Tamara McLoyd, 18, has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated murder charge pending against her, WJW reported.
She and alleged co-conspirator Jada Hite, 18, were indicted on Jan. 12 in connection with a slew of armed robberies that occurred between Nov. 2, 2021 and Nov. 4, 2021.
Prosecutors said McLoyd, who was already on probation out of Lorain County for her role in an armed home invasion, held up Happy’s Pizza on Detroit Avenue on Nov. 2 with the assistance of Hite and an unidentified male, WJW reported.
The made off with a weapon, car keys, and cash from the register, according to police.
She then allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint in Cleveland Heights later that same night, according to the news outlet.
McLoyd now faces additional charges of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, having weapons under disability, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of kidnapping, and four counts of aggravated robbery, WJW reported.
A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf on Wednesday and her bond was set at $500,000.
McLoyd is also being held on $5 million bond in connection with the aggravated murder charge, WJW reported.
She previously faced charges for a drive-by shooting in Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, but that case was dismissed in December of 2021 after the victim failed to show up for a hearing, WKBN reported.
Investigators said the 25-year-old off-duty officer was “ambushed and robbed” at approximately 6 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2021, while he was out in the parking lot of an apartment complex located in the 4300-block of Rocky River Drive, WOIO reported.
Security footage showed Officer Bartek struggling with a suspect prior to being fatally shot, according to police.
He was acting as an officer when he tried to grab the assailant’s firearm, Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association (CPPA) President Jeff Follmer told WJW.
The young officer suffered two gunshot wounds to the back, WOIO reported.
He was rushed to Fairview Hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
McLoyd fled the scene in the officer’s vehicle after murdering him, according to police.
She was apprehended early Jan. 1, WOIO reported.
Prosecutors said McLoyd confessed to having murdered the officer, according to the news outlet.
A second suspect, Anthony Butler Jr., was arrested Dec. 31, 2021 on charges of receiving stolen property and fleeing in connection with Officer Bartek’s murder, police said.
His bond was set at $5 million.
Officer Bartek’s stolen vehicle was recovered by police near Lakeshore and East 261st Street in Euclid after a police pursuit, WOIO reported.
Investigators said McLoyd had handed the vehicle off to Butler after killing Officer Bartek, and that they got into a pursuit with Butler after spotting the stolen car, WJW reported.
The chase came to an end when Butler crashed into a fence.
Officer Bartek’s murder has been designated as a line-of-duty death.
“He tried to put this person and prevent this person from doing harm to anybody else, and it resulted in his death,” Follmer told WJW. “He was a hero.”
