A week-long investigation, handed off to the prosecutor by Cleveland Heights police, came to a head Friday morning with McDaniel now facing charges of criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, and one count of burglary-related trespassing, a low-level felony.
In a statement, the office pointed to the five cameras that apparently recorded McDaniel starting around 10:37 a.m. last month, as she diverted a stroll on Coventry Road to a neighbor’s front-yard sign advocating for Seren’s recall election.
McDaniel, as one of the video shows, knelt down to snap a photo with her iPhone of the sign, then walked up to the residents’ front door and walked in without knocking. McDaniel initially told police otherwise, and that she barged inside to ask about contractor help for her and Seren’s home.
“She walked directly to the wrought iron front door and entered the residence without permission,” the prosecutor’s statement reads. “McDaniel was inside the home for approximately 17 seconds before exiting.”
The prosecutor’s office declined to comment further than a simple statement of facts. A message to Cleveland Heights City Hall went unreturned Friday morning.
McDaniel’s most severe charge—Trespassing in a Habitation When a Person is Present—is a subset of an accusation of burglary. It suggests that McDaniel herself knew the house she was walking into was occupied by its owner.
“No person, by force, stealth, or deception, shall trespass in a permanent or temporary habitation of any person,” Ohio law states, “when any person other than an accomplice of the offender is present or likely to be present.”
If proven guilty in trial, McDaniel could face anywhere from six to 18 months in prison, according to typical sentences for felony fours in Ohio, and receive up to five months probation.
McDaniel has yet to be given an arraignment date by the courts.
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This article appears in Cleveland SCENE 7/30/25.