BEREA, Ohio – An Olmsted Falls woman, 29, was arrested Sept. 18 after she stole merchandise from Dollar General, hid in her accomplice’s apartment and warned police that she was armed.
Police were called to Dollar General, 390 West Bagley Road in Berea, at about 9 p.m. after the woman loaded her shopping cart with merchandise and left the store without paying.
The woman entered the front passenger seat of a Ford sport-utility vehicle, and the SUV drove from the parking lot. A Dollar General worker gave police the license-plate number.
As the SUV sped away, a box of Crayola washable markers and a throw blanket fell out of the vehicle and onto the ground.
Police checked the plate number and learned that the SUV belonged to a 63-year-old man who lived at The Acadian, 21462 Sheldon Road in Brook Park. Police went to the apartment building and spotted the SUV. The hood was warm to the touch.
Two witnesses told police that they saw an older man and younger woman exit the SUV and enter apartment building F.
Police entered the building and heard talking inside one of the apartments. They knocked on the door and identified themselves. The talking stopped.
Police knocked again and said that if no one answered, they would tow the SUV. A man – later identified as the SUV’s owner – opened the door. He yelled the name of a woman who was inside the apartment.
Police asked the woman, later identified as the 29-year-old, to step out outside. They saw an older woman, 87, sitting in the apartment.
The older woman, at the request of police, asked the younger woman to appear but she did not. The older woman then invited police into the apartment.
The older woman provided the name of the younger woman, who was wanted by the Cuyahoga County and Lorain County sheriff’s offices and North Olmsted police.
The man admitted that he and the younger woman had been at Dollar General but he said he thought she had paid for the merchandise.
Police entered and walked through the apartment, advising the younger woman to come out of hiding. They tried to open the bathroom door but the woman, who was inside the bathroom, slammed the door shut.
Police attempted to kick the door open. The younger woman yelled, “I got weapons!” Police removed the door and found the woman lying on the floor.
The woman resisted and wrestled with police as they tried to gain control of her arms. Police warned the woman that they would tase her. She continued to resist. Police tased her in the upper hip-back area.
The woman continued to pull her arms away from police. They tased her again. She rose to her knees and police placed her in handcuffs.
Police found a crack cocaine pipe and a hypodermic needle cap on the bathroom floor. The woman admitted smoking crack and injecting heroin. Police didn’t find any weapons.
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