Theft
Major Theft at Black Brook Golf Course Jun. 28 – Thieves made off with over $6,000 worth of property from Black Brook Golf Course on Lake Shore Boulevard. Stolen items included a MacBook laptop, North Face backpack, fishing equipment and $560 in cash. The theft occurred around 8:30 p.m. and was reported three days later. Multiple witnesses provided information to investigators. Case remains under investigation.
Shoplifting Attempt Thwarted at Meijer Jul. 3 – Three females attempted to steal merchandise from Meijer on Mentor Avenue around 6 p.m. but fled when confronted by loss prevention officers. The suspects had pushed a cart full of merchandise toward the exit before being spotted. When approached, all three fled on foot and escaped in a black sedan with bumper stickers, heading eastbound on Route 20. The suspects abandoned their cart, allowing store security to recover all merchandise. No arrests have been made.
Employee Theft Scheme at Michael’s Jul. 3-4 – A theft and identity fraud scheme at Michael’s Arts & Crafts on Plaza Boulevard netted a suspect $5,464.90 in cash over a two-day period. The theft occurred between 6:36 p.m. Thursday and 12:09 a.m. Friday. Investigators have filed both theft and identity fraud charges in the case.
Elderly Couple Targeted in Gift Card Scam Jul. 3 – An elderly Mentor couple fell victim to thieves who stole $4,000 worth of Lowe’s gift cards, with each card valued at $2,000. The theft was reported Monday morning and remains under active investigation by detectives.
Brazen Wallet Theft at Walmart Jul. 6 – A shopper’s wallet was stolen from her unattended purse while shopping in the candy aisle at Walmart on Mentor Avenue around 8 p.m. The victim discovered her black and brown leopard-print clutch missing, which contained $41 in cash, her driver’s license, rewards cards and an IRS check. Despite reviewing security footage and checking trash receptacles throughout the store, the wallet was not recovered.
Identity Theft & Fraud
Sophisticated Puppy Sale Scam Targets Local Resident Jul. 3 – A Mentor woman advertising puppies for sale on LancasterPuppies.com became the target of an elaborate identity theft scheme around 3 p.m. The scammers, posing as interested buyers, sent text messages claiming to pay $450 for a puppy through Zelle. The fraudsters then impersonated Zelle representatives, convincing the victim to provide her name, address, last four digits of her Social Security number and a photo of her Ohio driver’s license for “identity verification.”
The victim quickly realized she was being scammed when the suspects used her stolen information to attempt hacking her PNC Bank account through Cash App. Three unauthorized transactions totaling approximately $2,000 were attempted but blocked by the bank. Police advised the victim to file reports with identitytheft.gov, place credit freezes with all three credit bureaus, and obtain a new driver’s license.
Business Identity Theft Hits Local Contractor Jun. 11 – Jackson Taylor Contractors discovered someone had fraudulently opened a US Bank account using the company’s name and the owner’s personal information. The business owner received a congratulatory letter from the bank about the “successful” account opening. Investigators found the fraudster only needed the company’s Employer Identification Number to open the account. While no money was stolen, several hard credit inquiries appeared on the business owner’s credit report. The case was documented to assist US Bank’s fraud investigation.
Domestic Violence
Three Domestic Violence Arrests Jul. 4-5 – Police responded to three separate domestic violence incidents over the holiday weekend, resulting in arrests in each case.
The first incident occurred around 11 p.m. Friday on Market Street, where a 30-year-old woman was arrested for domestic violence after an altercation at an apartment complex.
A second arrest was made Saturday afternoon on Ambrose Drive when a 60-year-old man was taken into custody for domestic violence during a 2:03 p.m. incident.
Jul. 9 – A third domestic violence case at a Center Street apartment resulted in the arrest of a 26-year-old man on charges of both domestic violence and aggravated menacing. The suspect was driving a silver 2015 Subaru Impreza when arrested at 7:21 p.m.
Property Damage
Juvenile Vandalism Spree Hits Multiple Neighborhoods Jul. 4-5 – A group of juveniles went on a garage door-kicking spree that damaged property in at least two Mentor neighborhoods. Around midnight Friday, residents on Edward Street heard loud banging on their garage door and later discovered fresh dents.
Security camera footage from Memory Lane showed 5-6 juveniles exiting a black SUV, with one approaching a garage door and kicking it while appearing to hold what looked like a squirt gun. The vandalism pattern was shared on local Facebook community pages, helping connect multiple incidents across the area.
Fourth of July Fireworks Cause Property Damage Jul. 4 – Improperly handled fireworks damaged a resident’s gazebo and patio table on Belle Meadow Road overnight. The homeowner discovered a hole burned through the gazebo top and a broken tile on the table underneath Saturday evening around 6:30 p.m. Discarded fireworks were found scattered around the backyard. Total damage was estimated at $220 – $200 for the gazebo top and $20 for the tile replacement.
Accidental Laptop Damage at Hotel Jul. 6 – A guest at Mentor Home Inn and Suites accidentally damaged his roommate’s laptop overnight. The $600 Dell 17-inch laptop was sitting on the edge of a bed when it was knocked to the floor and damaged beyond repair. The responsible party agreed to pay for replacement and offered his own laptop as a temporary substitute. The incident was documented at the request of the laptop owner in case legal action becomes necessary.
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