BOARDMAN POLICE: Laundry detergent thief targeting Valley stores

Police in Boardman are investigating after one store on Market Street was the victim of a theft of laundry detergent products. Police say, other stores in the area may have been targets as well.

According to a police report, the theft happened Tuesday evening shortly before 6 p.m. at a store on the 4000 Block of Market Street. 

The store manager told police that the suspect, described as a thin Black male in his late 30s standing at a little over six feet tall wearing a black balaclava mask, a grey shirt and blue jeans went into the store, picked up an unknown quantity of laundry detergent, put them into bags he brought into the store and left without paying.

The manager further told police other stores in the area had been experiencing similar thefts. This was discussed in a group chat with other store managers where a picture was shared of a suspect who is believed to be the culprit.

Police say the man this manager saw appeared to match the description of the one in the photo, noting that he had similar eyes.

A blog post from HomeScale published by an author known only as "Anna" on September 6, 2024 mentions there have been an uptick in reports of Tide laundry detergent being stolen from stores across the country.

According to the post, it is believed that Tide laundry detergent is being stolen from stores and homes to be resold for a profit.

The post notes that Tide products have a high retail value and are more expensive than other laundry detergent products. It also notes that Tide products are known for their cleaning power, fresh scent and popularity among customers, making them a desirable target for thefts.

It is unclear at this time if the thief was stealing these detergent products to resell them.