Cigarette thieves active in Poland Township

POLAND — Township police are investigating cigarette thefts that occurred at two convenience stores.

Early Friday, someone broke into the East Point Plaza at state Route 170 and Western Reserve Road and stole several cartons of cigarettes. On Monday, Sami Quik Stop, U.S. Route 224, was hit and again several cigarette cartons were taken.

Police Chief Brian Goodin said in both cases the thief or thieves are believed to have used a rock to break the store window, then enter through the broken window, fill an empty trash can with cigarettes, dump the cigarettes into a vehicle, leaving the trash can behind.

At East Point Plaza, police found blood on the broken window and are sending it to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation for analysis to determine if it matches that of anyone already in the system, the chief said. Those results aren’t expected for several weeks.

Goodin said the break ins and cigarette thefts have been a problem throughout the county over the last few years.

“We think it could be the same group of people,” he said.