A routine shoplifting call at Walmart in Chillicothe led to the arrest of an Akron man wanted on multiple felony warrants and a summons for a local woman accused of aiding in the theft.
On August 8, just after 9 p.m., officers responded to Walmart at 85 River Trace after loss prevention staff reported that a male suspect had stolen two pairs of shorts and stashed them in a blue Dodge Dart before returning to the store. When officers arrived, the man and a woman were at the self-checkout. Loss prevention staff said the woman had concealed unpaid items in her purse.
Police identified the pair as Darian Hines, of Akron, and Miranda Paugh, of Chillicothe. After paying for items in their cart, the two walked past the final point of sale without paying for the concealed merchandise. When stopped, Paugh admitted to having an unpaid sandwich in her purse, and Hines— who, after being detained, pleaded the 5th—produced a jar of Hellmann’s mayonnaise hidden in his pants.
Hines later admitted to placing two bottles of Chick-fil-A sauce and a sandwich into Paugh’s purse, along with the stolen shorts he had earlier placed in her car. The total value of the stolen goods was $43.17.
Officers learned Hines had three active felony warrants out of Summit County. He was booked into the Ross County Jail on theft charges and held on the warrants, with a court date set for August 11.
Paugh was issued a summons for complicity to theft and given an August 15 court date before being released at the scene.
