Police nab suspected thieves
A South Strabane Township police officer was in the right place at the right time Saturday afternoon, enabling him to quickly nab three people suspected of stealing more than $2,000 in items from Lowe’s at Strabane Square.
Arrested were Meko David Howard, 25, of Detroit, Mich., Lula Shawta-Jundas Blackwell, 26, of Warren, Ohio, and Ashley M. Moore, 21, of Southeast Warren, Ohio.
Officer Keith Zenkovich was monitoring traffic on Manifold Road near a ramp to Interstate 79 when the report came in about 1:20 p.m. of the theft at the store. The two women and man left the parking lot in a white Chevrolet Impala with no license plate attached and headed down Berry Road toward Manifold.
As Zenkovich was parked in the lot, a car matching the description pulled in next to the officer’s parked cruiser. Blackwell, who was driving the vehicle, and Howard, who was the front seat passenger, got out of the car and went to the rear of the car. When Zenkovich got out of the cruiser, Howard told him “The plate was loose.”
Zenkovich told the trio they matched the description of suspects in the theft. Blackwell reportedly gave the officer a wrong date of birth. Moore, who was sitting in the back, gave the officer a different name.
Police spotted a purse with numerous Dewalt items inside on the rear floor of the car. There also was a blue tote bag containing numerous items. Police recovered 63 items valued at $2,607 that reportedly were stolen from Lowe’s. Police also learned Moore is wanted on two warrants, one from the Medina County, Ohio, sheriff’s office and the other from Hermitage police in Mercer County on two cases charging her with retail theft. She was arraigned Monday on those charges via video by District Judge Ronald Antos, who set an additional $20,000 bond on the 2016 incidents.
All three were arraigned before District Judge Ethan Ward on charges of retail theft and conspiracy and placed in Washington County jail on $10,000 bond. Blackwell and Moore are also charged with false identification to police. They are scheduled for a May 30 preliminary hearing before District Judge Jay Weller.