A 90-year-old woman was shopping at Dave's Supermarket on East Exchange Street last Thursday when someone stole her purse right out of her shopping cart and walked out of the store on foot. Akron police are now asking the public for help identifying the suspect in the case, designated #26-97159.
The theft happened on August 13 at the store located at 871 E. Exchange St., according to the Akron Police Department, which posted a video appeal on Facebook seeking information identifying the suspect. Police have not released additional details about the suspect's appearance or the exact circumstances of the theft beyond confirming that the purse was taken from the victim's cart before the person fled the store.
Under Ohio law, the age of the victim carries real weight for whoever is eventually charged. Ohio Revised Code Section 2913.02 classifies theft from anyone 65 or older as theft from a protected class, which automatically bumps a standard petty theft charge up from a first-degree misdemeanor to at least a fifth-degree felony, regardless of how much the stolen property was worth, according to the Law Offices of Brian J. Smith. The same statute also requires courts to order full financial restitution to elderly victims on top of any criminal penalty, per Justia Law.
A Familiar Location for Financial Crimes Against Older Shoppers
This is not the first time this particular Dave's Supermarket has been the backdrop for a financial crime targeting an older shopper. In December 2025, Akron police sought public help identifying a suspect after an elderly woman's stolen debit card was used twice at the in-store US Bank branch at the same 871 E. Exchange St. location, a case that was tracked under a separate police report number, as reported by the Shore News Network.
The store itself holds outsized importance for the surrounding Middlebury neighborhood. Dave's Supermarket opened in 2004 as the anchor tenant of Middlebury Plaza, capping an 11-year community effort to resolve a severe food desert in East Akron, and it remains a primary commercial hub for residents in the area, according to background compiled by Wanderlog.
Elder Financial Exploitation Cases Have Kept Summit County Courts Busy
Cases involving theft from vulnerable older adults have surfaced elsewhere in Summit County this year too. In March, law enforcement in neighboring Springfield Township arrested and charged a 56-year-old Akron woman with felony theft from a protected class after she siphoned roughly $38,000 from an elderly victim's bank account, according to WKYC-TV. Hoodline covered that case in a $38K elder theft bust back in March.
Crime prevention advisories elsewhere have flagged distraction purse snatchings at grocery stores as a recurring tactic against older shoppers, especially when bags are left visible and unattended in a cart. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office has advised shoppers to keep bags zipped and physically attached to their bodies while browsing store aisles.
How to Submit a Tip in the Case
Akron police are directing anyone with information to Detective Sgt. M. Joyner, who can be reached at 330-375-2464 or 330-375-2TIP. Tips can also be submitted through tips411 or at akroncops.org, by texting TIPSCO to 274637, or anonymously through Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-COPS. Crime Stoppers tips that lead to an arrest and indictment can carry a cash reward of up to $5,000 in local felony cases.
Police also asked that anyone with information avoid posting personal details in public comments on the department's social media post, and instead send information through a private inbox message. The plea for tips reflects a broader staffing reality at APD, which was operating with roughly 423 officers as of July, about 60 below its budgeted allotment of 488, while fielding nearly 128,000 calls for service annually, according to Signal Akron. The department is led by Chief Brian Harding, a 30-year veteran of the force who was sworn into the top post in May 2024.
Open questions remain in the case, including whether store surveillance captured the suspect's escape route and whether any financial cards from the stolen purse have since been used. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Detective Sgt. Joyner or submit a tip through the channels above.
