Cincinnati police are asking for the public's help identifying a suspect after a theft occurred aboard a Metro bus near the 3100 block of Montana Avenue. District 3 investigators are attempting to identify the man and are directing anyone with information to call a detective assigned to the case.
According to a post from the Cincinnati Police Department
According to a post from the Cincinnati Police Department, “District 3 investigators are attempting to identify a suspect involved in a theft that occurred on a Metro bus near the 3100 block of Montana Ave.” The department asked anyone who recognizes the man pictured to contact Detective Newman at 513-263-8327. The location description in the post refers to the 3100 block of Montana Avenue.
The department has not provided further details about how investigators developed information about the suspect in this case.
How District 3 Is Handling the Investigation
The case falls under Cincinnati Police District 3, which operates out of a LEED Platinum-certified headquarters at 2300 Ferguson Road in Westwood and covers roughly 20 square miles across 18 West Side neighborhoods with 161 sworn officers. The district's territory expanded in late 2023 when the city consolidated its patrol districts from five down to four, dissolving District 5 and folding additional West Side and North Side neighborhoods into District 3's jurisdiction. District 3 maintains a dedicated Investigative Unit responsible for district-wide follow-up work, processing crime scenes, and issuing exactly these kinds of public appeals to identify unknown suspects.
The scale of the transit system where the theft happened is considerable. SORTA operates the regional Metro bus network across Cincinnati and Hamilton County, delivering roughly 13.5 million passenger rides annually. Residents with non-emergency concerns about transit infrastructure can use the city's 311 Cincy portal, while emergencies should be reported by calling 911.
What Charges Could Look Like
The dossier does not specify the value or nature of the property taken, leaving open whether the suspect could eventually face misdemeanor or felony charges if identified and charged. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2913.02, taking property valued under $1,000 without consent is classified as petty theft, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail. Theft involving property worth $1,000 or more may escalate to felony status, though no such valuation has been disclosed in this case.
Tip Lines and Reporting Channels
Cincinnati police have said that its public pages, including on X, are not monitored continuously for incoming crime leads, urging people to call 911 for emergencies instead. Anyone with information on the Montana Avenue bus theft is asked to call Detective Newman directly at 513-263-8327.
Tipsters who prefer to remain anonymous can also reach Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040. The case is one of several recent District 3 appeals for public help identifying suspects, following a similar Camp Washington theft investigation and a search for two men accused of stealing a car in West Price Hill.
