Retail Theft and Disturbances at Macedonia Commons
MACEDONIA, Ohio – Several reports involved a woman from Warrensville Heights tied to multiple shoplifting incidents at Walmart on Macedonia Commons Boulevard. In three separate October visits, she was accused of using self-checkout to scan some items while bagging others without paying, or voiding transactions and leaving with unpaid merchandise. Losses in those cases were small – often under $20 – but she was charged with misdemeanor theft in each incident.
A separate series of reports focused on a man from Lorain linked to eleven different theft incidents at the same Walmart between early September and mid-November. In each case, surveillance video reportedly showed him skipping scans at self-checkout and walking out with unpaid items. Investigators identified him through his red Toyota’s license plate, and he was charged with theft, with warrants issued.
Other Walmart theft calls involved higher-dollar losses or additional charges:
- In one case, a man from Bedford allegedly stole about $174 in merchandise and provided officers with a false name. He was later positively identified by fingerprints and found to have active warrants. He was charged with petty theft, falsification, and criminal trespass. A second person involved, a woman from Cleveland, was also implicated in concealing merchandise.
- In another incident, a woman from Maple Heights who had previously been trespassed from Walmart admitted stealing meat and boxed food items by concealing them in her purse. The stolen merchandise was valued at about $22, and she was charged with theft and trespassing.
- A separate report detailed a woman from Bedford accused of stealing groceries and being found with a crystal rock substance consistent with methamphetamine, along with a brown substance discovered in foil during booking. The total merchandise loss was estimated at more than $50, and she was charged with theft while the suspected drugs were logged for testing.
- In a high-dollar theft, a man from Akron in a wheelchair was accused of concealing more than $500 worth of sports cards. Officers said he initially gave a false name and Social Security number and later admitted using snort tubes found in his pocket for fentanyl. He was charged with theft, trespassing, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Officers also investigated a theft targeting an 84‑year‑old shopper from Bedford, who reported her purse stolen from her cart. Video reportedly showed a man from Lorain remove the purse and conceal it. Her Huntington Bank Mastercard was used for multiple fraudulent charges. The suspect was charged with theft, theft of credit cards, and misuse of credit cards.
Retail incidents at Macedonia Commons also included disturbances:
- At Hobby Lobby, an argument in the lobby between a customer from Macedonia and an employee from Mentor‑on‑the‑Lake allegedly turned physical. Video showed the customer initiating physical contact and the employee pushing her, causing a fall, according to the report. Both were cited for disorderly conduct. The employee was terminated, and the customer was verbally trespassed from all Hobby Lobby locations.
- At Walmart, another call involved a man from Garfield Heights and a woman from Cleveland yelling at staff at self-checkout after discovering the store does not accept Apple Pay. The situation escalated when the man tried to have the woman download Walmart Pay and she refused. Officers cited both for disorderly conduct and trespassed them from Walmart locations for one year.
Check Fraud, Identity Theft, and Mail-Based Scams
A cluster of reports described Macedonia residents discovering that checks they mailed to pay bills were intercepted, altered, and cashed for far higher amounts.
In several cases, victims from Macedonia or nearby communities said they placed checks in or around the Macedonia Post Office to pay credit card or other bills. The checks were later discovered to have been altered:
- One Macedonia victim’s check for $500, written to Capital One, was reportedly changed to more than $7,800 and made payable to an unknown individual, with the name starting with “Tyrell.”
- Another Macedonia resident said a check for $80 intended for his niece was stolen from his mailbox, altered to $2,500, and deposited into an account at KeyBank under the name “Abdi Adan.”
- In additional Macedonia cases, checks originally written for amounts such as $276 and $460 were allegedly altered to $2,300 or $5,000, with payee names changed to unfamiliar individuals and signatures forged. One victim reported a fraudulent $5,000 Citizens Bank check made out to “Malika Ellis.”
Police categorized these incidents as theft, forgery, identity fraud, or passing bad checks. Banks including KeyBank and Citizens Bank were reported to be conducting their own fraud investigations, and officers forwarded the matters to detectives for follow-up.
Fraud activity extended beyond the postal system. At Macedonia Commons, a victim from Maple Heights reported more than $1,000 in unauthorized debit-card charges after dining at Applebee’s. She believed her card may have been taken or copied while it was out of her sight during payment. Police opened a misuse‑of‑credit‑card case and referred it to detectives.
OVI, Crashes, and Impaired Driving Incidents
Officers documented a series of OVI and impaired driving incidents involving drivers from Macedonia and neighboring cities on Interstate 271, State Routes 8 and 82, and local streets.
On SR 82 near I‑271, an officer clocked a silver sedan driven by a woman from Akron at 81 mph in a 65 mph zone. She reportedly smelled strongly of alcohol, admitted drinking, and failed field sobriety tests. A breath test registered 0.134 BAC, and she was charged with OVI, OVI per se, and speeding.
On Roll and Hold Parkway, a welfare check for a woman from Solon slumped over in a running vehicle turned into an OVI arrest. Police said she was confused, slurred her speech, and had bloodshot eyes. She failed sobriety tests, and a breath test registered 0.196 BAC, resulting in an OVI over .17 percent charge and related offenses.
On State Route 82, officers stopped a vehicle driven by a man from Atwater after lane violations and erratic driving. An open bottle of Fireball Whiskey and other alcoholic beverages were found inside, according to the report. His breath test result was 0.241 BAC, and he was arrested for OVI, driving in marked lanes, and open container violations.
On SR 8, officers responded to a rollover crash in the median involving a maroon Nissan Rogue driven by a woman from Medina. Police said she smelled strongly of alcohol, appeared confused, and admitted to drinking. She was transported to Western Reserve Hospital and refused chemical testing. She was cited for OVI and failure to control.
On North Lane near I‑271, an officer stopped a gray Toyota driven by an 18‑year‑old from Cleveland traveling 88 mph in a 65 mph zone. The officer smelled burnt marijuana, and the driver, who only held a temporary instruction permit, admitted to smoking. Although his breath test registered 0.000 BAC, officers reported signs of impairment and arrested him for OVI. He was also cited for violating temporary permit restrictions, a turn-signal violation, and not wearing a seatbelt.
In another late‑night stop off I‑271, officers pulled over a vehicle driven by a man from Brecksville after observing a red‑light violation in a left turn. The driver admitted to consuming a half liter of scotch whiskey and two additional drinks. An open container was visible in the car, and his breath test registered 0.100 BAC. He was arrested and charged with OVI, a right‑of‑way violation, and open container.
Child Endangering and Domestic Violence
One of the most serious impaired-driving cases involved alleged child endangering. Officers were called to the area of Oaktree and Elmwood drives for a report of erratic driving and located a blue Land Rover driven by a woman from Macedonia with her 13‑year‑old daughter in the vehicle. Police described the driver as highly intoxicated, slurring her speech and unable to maintain balance. A chemical test reportedly showed a BAC of 0.210. She was charged with OVI over .17 percent and child endangering due to care.
In a separate domestic violence incident on East Aurora Road, officers found a woman from Macedonia bleeding and hiding after a reported altercation with her boyfriend, who also lives in Macedonia. She told police a verbal argument escalated and that she had been dragged outside, tearing off her left big toenail. The boyfriend was described as very intoxicated and was found passed out on the bedroom floor. He was arrested and charged with domestic violence.
Police also handled a harassment complaint from a woman who reported concerns that her ex‑boyfriend, who lives in another city, might be tracking her using a device similar to an Apple AirTag on her vehicle. She said she saw a device called “Shell” using her location on her phone. Because she resides in Streetsboro, officers advised her to file a formal report with the Streetsboro Police Department and consider a protection order through Portage County Domestic Relations Court.
Property Crimes, Suspicious Activity, and Found Items
Property-related calls ranged from suspicious activity to theft of a commercial vehicle.
At a transportation business on East Highland Road, officers investigated the theft of a 2023 Dodge Ram Promaster truck leased to a company and assigned to a driver from Detroit, Michigan. The driver had been fired and allegedly failed to return the truck. GPS tracking led officers to the vehicle on I‑480 westbound, where it was located and recovered. Video reportedly showed the former employee abandoning the truck and committing multiple traffic violations. He was charged with theft of a motor vehicle and cited for traffic offenses.
At the closed, bank‑owned Key Inn on East Highland Road, officers responded to a trespassing complaint and found a man from Norton leaving an electrical room. He allegedly admitted cutting copper wiring with bolt cutters found nearby and was reference charged for trespassing.
On Oakview Drive, a resident from Macedonia reported finding a green girls‑style Giant Sedona mountain bike hidden under trees in her yard. The bicycle was in poor condition, with flat tires, broken brakes, and no seat, and officers collected it as found property.
At Summit Point, an assisted living facility on Valley View Road, Macedonia officers responded to a report of stolen medications involving a resident and documented the incident as information only.
Assists, Suspicious Packages, and Forged Identification
Officers also assisted neighboring agencies and handled several unusual calls.
Macedonia officers were requested by the Twinsburg Police Department to assist in searching a woman from Macedonia after drug paraphernalia was reportedly found; nothing illegal was located during the search. In another case, an officer responded to the Sagamore Hills Police Department to help identify a man using a mobile fingerprint scanner but was unable to obtain usable prints.
Macedonia officers and the Fire Department also responded to a residential address on Valley View Road, where a 56‑year‑old man from Macedonia was found unresponsive near a fireplace. The Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office pronounced him deceased at the scene.
At Macedonia Commons, officers answered a suspicious-package call involving six packages of marijuana, totaling just over 3,000 grams, tied to an individual from Las Vegas, Nevada. The marijuana was logged as property, and the case was suspended.
A separate traffic stop on Route 82 near I‑271 led to a forgery and immigration investigation when an officer stopped a Ford F‑150 driven by a man from Cleveland for speeding. He presented an Israeli passport and what officers determined was a forged North Carolina driver’s license. The driver admitted purchasing the license in Los Angeles. Federal officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection placed an immigration detainer on him, and he was charged with felony forgery and speeding.
