Ohio middle school teacher found stabbed to death in home

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio (AP) — The home where a middle school teacher was found stabbed to death has been the scene of several attempted break-ins and suspicious activities in the months leading up to the slaying.

Police reports show the family complained about a series of pranks and minor crimes, including last week when police investigated a report that an unknown man tried to enter the home by forcing open the back door.

Just days later, police in the Cleveland suburb of Strongsville found Melinda Pleskovic, 49, with stab wounds to her back. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead Monday night.

A man who identified himself as Pleskovic’s husband told 911 dispatchers that people had been trying to break into their home “all year.”

“I just got in the door with my new son-in-law,” Bruce Pleskovic told a dispatcher, adding that his son, who has Down syndrome, was already home.

He also complained about the recent trouble at the home.

“You know we’ve asked people to watch our freaking area,” the husband said. “We’ve had people attempt to break in just this week. I don’t know what’s going on in this city.”

He told investigators that he believed someone targeted their home but did not know why, according to police records.

Melinda Pleskovic had taught in the Strongsville school district for 27 years.

Records show police went to the home in January to investigate a report of a theft from a car, and they went again in July to report a suspicious person. Police searched the neighborhood and made no arrests.

Police also were called in September when she told officers a set of car keys were missing. She also said she kept finding her car unlocked and that the alarm kept going off.

There also was a report from June 2016, when the family said four teenagers were bouncing on their backyard trampoline. Later that fall, they told police a group of teens were looking inside their windows while a woman changed clothes.