LORAIN, Ohio – A violent crime spree that shook the city of Lorain ended in tragedy when the suspect, 41-year-old Henry Cobb, lost his life in a fiery crash. But while Cobb is gone, his victims continue to relive the terrifying ordeal that unfolded on February 12.
Dina Poltrone, one of Cobb’s victims, describes the fear that still haunts her. “I was like, he’s gonna kill me,” she recalled, reliving the moment she thought she wouldn’t survive.
The chaos began at a Valero gas station on Oberlin Avenue, where Cobb allegedly tried to force his way into a woman’s car while her 12-year-old daughter sat inside. The mother fought back, and when bystanders approached, Cobb fled.
Moments later, he targeted Poltrone at a Raceway gas station. Pretending to warn her about a flat tire, he waited for the right moment before shattering her window and dragging her by the ponytail. “He kept telling me, ‘Give me the fing keys, I’m gonna f you up,’” she recounted. In desperation, she flung the keys away and ran for safety.
After stealing her SUV, Cobb went on to rob a 7-Eleven on Leavitt Road, threatening the clerk with a gun before taking off with the cash register. His escape ended violently when he crashed into two cars on Meister Road, injuring several people, including a college student now in the ICU.
Cobb’s rampage ended in a fiery wreck—trapped inside Poltrone’s stolen SUV, he died at the scene as the vehicle went up in flames.
Authorities later uncovered his long history of violent crime, including robbery convictions in Lorain (2016) and Florida (2018). He had been released from prison just six months before his final crime spree.
Despite her trauma, Poltrone found a glimmer of hope when a local business owner donated a car to replace the one she lost. “It helps me have a little more hope in humanity,” she said, still struggling to process the nightmare she endured.
While Cobb’s death marks the end of his terror, his victims continue to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
