Alec Sapolin
Digital content producer
Cleveland, Ohio
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Alec Sapolin joined Cleveland 19 News as a Digital Content Producer in March 2022.
He started his career in Chagrin Falls, Ohio in 2021 after graduating from The University of Oregon with a degree in journalism.
Alec’s love for all things Cleveland goes beyond the news he covers, devoting his free time to talking all things Cleveland Browns, Cavaliers and Guardians while expounding on his love for all things food.
Updated: Mar. 17, 2023 at 3:45 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
Two people on Friday were charged in connection to a kidnapping in Canton after pretending to be with Child Protective Services.
Updated: Mar. 12, 2023 at 2:52 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Andrew McMunn
The Brecksville Fire Department is mourning the loss of a firefighter following a battle with an illness.
Updated: Mar. 11, 2023 at 2:55 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Gray News staff
Three bodies were found in 2 different locations Friday in Summit County, Ohio.
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 1:37 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
The sky lit up Sunday night after the Aurora borealis, more commonly known as the northern lights, made its way around Northeast Ohio.
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 6:54 AM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine suffered an injury while in East Palestine last week.
Updated: Feb. 26, 2023 at 5:55 AM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Gray News staff
The suspect allegedly stole nearly $500 in merchandise from a grocery store.
Updated: Feb. 24, 2023 at 12:15 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Tuesday arrested a 60-year-old man on the Ohio Turnpike after he was found with more than $45,000 worth of drugs during a traffic stop.
Updated: Feb. 11, 2023 at 3:20 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Gray News staff
Officials on Friday confirmed Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost will oversee the investigation into the arrest of Evan Lambert.
Updated: Feb. 9, 2023 at 5:11 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
School officials have been made aware of the arrest and removed both players from the team.
Updated: Jan. 22, 2023 at 5:01 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
One person and two dogs died Sunday morning following a house fire in Erie County, according to Florence Township Fire Department officials.
Updated: Jan. 20, 2023 at 4:54 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Michelle Nicks (WOIO)
ODNR officials did not give an exact time as to when the kayak was found but said it was found “some time Friday”.
Updated: Jan. 15, 2023 at 2:22 PM EST
|By Amanda Alvarado, Alec Sapolin, Brian Koster and Sia Nyorkor
A 41-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the shooting.
Updated: Jan. 14, 2023 at 7:20 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Jordan Gartner
Authorities say a truck belonging to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson was stolen from a dealership.
Updated: Jan. 13, 2023 at 11:11 AM EST
|By Gabe Swartz, Alec Sapolin and Debra Worley
Former NFL running back Peyton Hillis was hospitalized last week after saving his kids from drowning, according to prior reports.
Updated: Dec. 30, 2022 at 3:52 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
The Peach Bowl, which will be played between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 1 Georgia on Dec. 31, sparked the friendly wager between the two governors.
Updated: Dec. 30, 2022 at 3:29 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Misty Stiver and Michelle Nicks (WOIO)
19 News has learned Taylor’s body was found inside of a tote bag, which was placed inside a bigger construction bag.
Updated: Dec. 25, 2022 at 3:27 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
The quartet’s entire journey was documented on the social media giant, which included stops in Virginia and West Virginia, while dashing through the snow and laughing all the way.
Updated: Dec. 24, 2022 at 7:28 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
FirstEnergy on Saturday asked its customers to conserve electricity through the remainder of the weekend, including on Christmas Day, due to the cold temperatures.
Updated: Dec. 22, 2022 at 5:41 PM EST
|By Maddi Hebebrand, Julia Bingel and Alec Sapolin
The suspect in the abduction has been identified as Nalah Tamiko Jackson, 24, of Columbus, said police.
Updated: Dec. 11, 2022 at 3:59 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Sia Nyorkor and Andrew McMunn
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources confirmed the kayak of 30-year-old Evan Zeller was found in Ontario.
Updated: Dec. 9, 2022 at 10:36 PM EST
|By Kelly Kennedy and Alec Sapolin
Police early Friday morning arrested a man that went on a destructive crime spree through Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood.
Updated: Dec. 9, 2022 at 7:34 PM EST
|By Winnie Dortch and Alec Sapolin
“He’s not here physically, but he’s still here and that makes me feel so much better.”
Updated: Dec. 9, 2022 at 6:09 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LeRose on Friday certified the results of the 2022 general election.
Updated: Dec. 9, 2022 at 3:52 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
The Ohio Department of Agriculture issued a voluntary recall of eggnog products on Friday.
Updated: Nov. 28, 2022 at 12:58 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Michelle Nicks and Debra Worley
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office launched an investigation Saturday into the woman’s death.
Updated: Nov. 27, 2022 at 3:31 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin
Those in attendance at Sunday’s Cleveland Browns game witnessed a new, stinky, fan amongst their ranks.
Updated: Nov. 26, 2022 at 7:29 AM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Sia Nyorkor and Syeda Abbas
The City of Cleveland is holding the funeral service for fallen firefighter Johnny Tetrick at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Updated: Nov. 21, 2022 at 6:26 AM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Julia Bingel, Kelly Kennedy and Gray News staff
Officers said it appeared the victim had been deceased for some time.
Updated: Nov. 20, 2022 at 4:01 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin and Andrew McMunn
A mother in Ohio pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges after faking her daughter’s illness to get donations, according to authorities.
Updated: Nov. 19, 2022 at 9:16 PM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Maddi Hebebrand and Michelle Nicks (WOIO)
A Cleveland firefighter was hospitalized Saturday night after being struck by a car, officials confirmed to 19 News.
Updated: Nov. 11, 2022 at 5:15 AM EST
|By Alec Sapolin, Kelly Kennedy and Gray News staff
Officers chased a 39-year-old man wanted for felonious assault through a day care facility last week, which was all caught on officer-worn body camera.
Updated: Nov. 5, 2022 at 4:39 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Sia Nyorkor
The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Division is currently searching for a missing person in Sheffield Lake after their kayak capsized in Lake Erie.
Updated: Nov. 4, 2022 at 7:13 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
Police in Ravenna said a 12-year-old boy was identified on Friday in connection to swatting incidents in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
Updated: Oct. 30, 2022 at 5:18 PM EDT
|By Chris Anderson and Alec Sapolin
First responders pronounced the male truck driver, who has not yet been publicly identified, dead at the scene.
Updated: Oct. 30, 2022 at 4:08 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Andrew McMunn
The girl's family said she had been missing before police found her body.
Updated: Oct. 22, 2022 at 10:53 AM EDT
|By Maddi Hebebrand and Alec Sapolin
They said they were alarmed because in the message, a man talked about putting a “five grand hit” on someone, leading police to believe this was a murder-for-hire plot.
Updated: Oct. 20, 2022 at 4:23 PM EDT
|By Julia Bingel, Avery Williams, Kelly Kennedy and Alec Sapolin
The shooting happened around 3 p.m. in the 4400 block of State Road.
Updated: Oct. 11, 2022 at 10:03 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
Two anglers were caught cheating in a Cleveland fishing tournament by adding lead weights and fish filets that appeared to be previously prepared to increase the weight of the fish during a competition on Friday.
Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 at 11:54 PM EDT
|By Caitlin McCarthy, Alec Sapolin and Gray News Staff
An Ohio man was charged last week after being caught on camera groping his 16-year-old step-daughter during a virtual school class.
Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 at 6:58 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Jeff Slawson
Two anglers were caught cheating in a Cleveland fishing tournament by adding lead weights and fish filets that appeared to be previously prepared to increase the weight of the fish during a competition on Friday.
Updated: Oct. 1, 2022 at 6:02 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
Two anglers were caught cheating in a Cleveland fishing tournament by adding lead weights and fish filets that appeared to be previously prepared to increase the weight of the fish during a competition on Friday.
Updated: Sep. 27, 2022 at 10:47 AM EDT
|By Chris Anderson and Alec Sapolin
New details from Monday’s crash involving star Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett are beginning to surface.
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022 at 5:18 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Jim Nelson
Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett was injured in a car crash Monday afternoon, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Updated: Sep. 25, 2022 at 4:20 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
Ohio Task Force 1 was deployed on Saturday ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Ian.
Updated: Sep. 18, 2022 at 1:03 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin, Caitlin McCarthy and Andrew McMunn
Antonio Miller was arrested on Sept. 16 at an Akron home, according to police.
Updated: Sep. 14, 2022 at 12:06 PM EDT
|By Kelly Kennedy, Alec Sapolin and Emily Van de Riet
A child rape suspect was found dead along with a family member of the alleged victim Sunday morning.
Updated: Sep. 12, 2022 at 3:49 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Debra Worley
The Akron Police Department and USMS joined the investigation last week and found the girl in Akron on Sept. 12, 2022.
Updated: Sep. 10, 2022 at 5:24 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin
New footage released to 19 News shows a man arrested in July after climbing through a luggage carousel at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
Updated: Sep. 7, 2022 at 1:13 PM EDT
|By Alec Sapolin and Emily Van de Riet
A Cleveland man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to raping three underage sisters and impregnating two of them.
Updated: Aug. 22, 2022 at 6:49 PM EDT
|By Sia Nyorkor and Alec Sapolin
19 News is learning more about the Ohio Supreme Court decision to keep the man who killed Alianna DeFreeze on death row.