CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A local man faces theft charges after allegedly stealing a customer’s cell phones from a North Bridge Street McDonald’s and attempting to sell them at a nearby Walmart kiosk.
Chad Branch, of Chillicothe, was arrested following a rapid succession of events on Sunday morning, May 18. He was booked into the Ross County Jail and made his initial appearance in Chillicothe Municipal Court on Monday, May 19.
Quick Theft at the Restroom
According to reports from the Chillicothe Police Department, officers were dispatched to the McDonald’s at 40 N. Bridge Street around 9:00 a.m. regarding a theft complaint.
The victim told responding officers that they had plugged two iPhones into a wall outlet near the restaurant’s bathrooms to charge while they used the restroom. When the victim returned moments later, the charger was still plugged in, but both iPhones were gone.
Chillicothe police investigators immediately reviewed the restaurant’s security footage. The surveillance video reportedly showed a white male suspect—wearing all-black clothing, a black hat, glasses, white shoes, and sporting a distinctive tattoo sleeve on his right arm—unplugging the phones and walking out of the building.
Apprehended at Walmart EcoATM
The investigation quickly shifted down the road to the local Walmart. Officer Christopher Althouse responded to the store’s electronics section after learning that asset protection associates were detaining a man matching the suspect’s description near the automated phone-buying kiosk.
Upon arrival, police identified the man as Branch using his Ohio state identification card. A search revealed Branch was still in possession of one of the stolen iPhones. The second iPhone was successfully recovered from inside the automated kiosk machine, where Branch had allegedly just attempted to sell it for quick cash.
According to police reports, Branch openly admitted to the theft. He allegedly told arresting officers that he had recently lost his job, suffered a relapse on methamphetamine, and was desperate for money.
Both iPhones were undamaged and immediately returned to the victim by law enforcement. Branch was taken into custody without further incident and charged with a single count of misdemeanor theft.
