BOARDMAN Police investigating string of robberies

One woman was robbed as she stood in her driveway.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Township police are investigating a series of thefts and robberies that took place over the course of a day.
Police said a 56-year-old Canfield woman was assaulted and robbed just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday as she worked at the Paper Doll Collection store on Market Street. Police said a man came into the store, sprayed the woman with a chemical, beat her and then ran off with a ring worth $10,000.
Police said the man also tried to steal more jewelry but was unable to remove it from the woman. The woman was treated at St. Elizabeth's Boardman facility for a cut on her arm.
Reports say that a short time later an 81-year-old township man was also assaulted while he shopped at the Dollar Tree in the 500 block of Boardman-Poland Road. Police said the man was pushed into a set of shelves by two other men, who then ran off with his wallet.
Police said the assaulted man was not injured.
Robbed in store
A Canfield woman shopping in the Wal-Mart store on Doral Drive at 6:40 p.m. said her wallet was stolen by two males. Police said the woman, 56, told officers that the two men approached her, acting as store employees, and accused her of knocking over and breaking a stool. She said both men acted strangely and stood very close to her while discussing the matter.
After the woman left the store, she called police to report her wallet stolen.
At about 10:50 p.m., township police reports say, a purse was snatched from a 72-year-old Glenridge Road woman in her driveway.
Police said the woman pulled into her garage, got out of her car and was met at the rear of the vehicle by an unidentified man, who snatched the purse and ran.
Police don't believe the crimes are related.