North Royalton police are asking the public for help identifying someone caught trying to break into a business along State Road near Royalwood Road earlier this month, and this time the biggest clue isn't a jacket or a getaway car — it's a pair of sneakers. The unidentified subject was photographed wearing a black Nike hooded sweatshirt and a pair of eye-catching Nike Air More Uptempo shoes in black and white during the attempted break-in on August 5.
The North Royalton Police Department shared surveillance-style images of the suspect in a Facebook post published Wednesday, seeking tips from anyone who might recognize the person or the distinctive footwear. Anyone with information is asked to contact the department's Detective Bureau at 440-582-6216, extension 2210. The post does not name the targeted business, and police have not said whether surveillance video captured a getaway vehicle or any accomplices.
A Shoe Built to Stand Out on Camera
The choice of footwear may work in investigators' favor. The Nike Air More Uptempo “Black/White,” first released in 1996 and famously worn by NBA star Scottie Pippen, is known for its oversized side lettering and high-contrast piping, according to Sneaker Bar Detroit. That same outlet reports Nike has a retro re-release of the shoe scheduled for August 21 at a retail price of $170, meaning the silhouette is already drawing attention among sneakerheads well beyond North Royalton.
The location targeted in the attempted break-in sits along one of the city's busier commercial corridors. State Road and Royalwood Road anchor a stretch that includes Royalwood Plaza and several medical offices, with State Road carrying average daily traffic volumes exceeding 11,000 vehicles, per CBRE. Busy commercial strips like this one typically lean on overnight security cameras and police patrols to deter property crime.
Echoes of an Earlier Break-In Attempt
This is not the first time North Royalton police have turned to the public for help identifying a suspect caught on camera during an attempted commercial burglary. Back in January, the department asked for the public's assistance after a similar break-in attempt at Joe D's Beverage on Royalton Road, in a case Hoodline covered when it sought help ID'ing a suspect described as wearing a green Tommy Hilfiger coat and gray Vans shoes. It remains unclear whether that earlier incident is connected to the August 5 attempt, and police have not indicated any link between the two cases.
Any charge stemming from the August 5 incident would likely hinge on Ohio's breaking-and-entering statute. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2911.13, trespassing into an unoccupied structure with intent to commit theft or a felony is classified as a fifth-degree felony, carrying six to 12 months in prison and fines up to $2,500, according to the Ohio General Assembly. But because the attempt did not result in a completed break-in, Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.02 drops the charge by one degree, down to a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, per the Meade Law Group. Any resulting misdemeanor case would likely be handled by the Parma Municipal Court, which covers North Royalton along with seven other Cuyahoga County communities serving nearly 178,000 residents, according to the court's own annual report.
A Small Detective Bureau Working the Tips
The North Royalton Police Department is led by Police Chief Keith Tarase and staffed by 34 sworn officers, with a Detective Bureau of four full-time investigators responsible for fielding tips like these and running down commercial property crime cases, according to the City of North Royalton. That bureau has leaned on public tips before. In 2023, the department worked alongside federal and local agencies on an investigation that led to a 16-count federal indictment against seven Northeast Ohio residents in a regional mail-theft and check-fraud ring, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio has said. Federal investigators have also partnered with North Royalton police on property crime cases before, including offering a reward for information after a break-in at Accurate Arms and Ammunition on Bunker Road.
The department's public appeal comes as it faces separate scrutiny of its own. North Royalton police have been the subject of whistleblower complaints and lawsuits this year alleging records tampering and retaliation against an officer, according to the Chandra Law Firm. That internal turmoil has unfolded alongside the department's routine casework, including the push to identify whoever tried to get into the State Road business while wearing a hoodie and a soon-to-be-restocked pair of sneakers.
