Northeast Ohio man arrested for 70th time after shoplifting suitcase full of meat, police say

SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio (WOIO) - A Garfield Heights man was arrested for the 70th time after shoplifting a cart full of meat and a suitcase to put them in from a store, South Euclid Police confirmed.

SEPD said Walmart called police to report a shoplifter pushed a shopping cart loaded with various cuts of packaged meats and a suitcase out of the store without paying for them on Jan. 5.

The suspect was then seen in the parking lot near Penn Station’s dumpster packing the meat inside the stolen suitcase, stated SEPD.

He threw out the meat he could not fit into the stolen suitcase in the dumpster, according to SEPD.

SEPD said the suspect abandoned the shopping cart in the parking lot after its security feature locked up its front wheel, which prevented him from continuing to push the shopping cart off Walmart’s property.

Officers stopped the suspect at the RTA bus stop across the street from Walmart and identified him as a 62-year-old Garfield Heights man, said SEPD.

The suspect already had several warrants, who of which from South Euclid, SEPD said.

SEPD stated the suspect admitted that he typically sells the meat he steals to restaurants, who pay him half the face value marked on the price tags.

The suspect did not identify the restaurants, according to SEPD.

He was arrested and booked for theft, said SEPD.