Rash of Rent Money Thefts Reported

Our partners at NewsChannel5 have uncovered reports of thefts from apartment complex rent drop boxes in 13 Northeast Ohio towns, including Twinsburg.  

The towns and cities that have targeted by rent drop box thieves include Broadview Heights, Brunswick, Brimfield Township, Coventry Township, Cuyahoga Falls, Jackson Township, Medina, Montville, North Royalton, Perry Township, Strongsville, Stow and Twinsburg.

Surveillance cameras at Wyoga Lake Commons in Cuyahoga Falls captured a theft on May 2. In the video, you see the thief insert a wire with a sticky substance on it into the complex's rent drop box. After fishing around for a few minutes, he walks away with a bag full of money orders, checks and cash. 

The thief then drove away in a dark colored car with a white bumper.

"It's not an incident in the 10 years that I've been in the business that we've come across," said Shawn Whitehead, vice president at NM Residential which owns Wyoga Lake Commons.

Whitehead said rent was also stolen from the property on April 28 and from Weeping Cherry Village, the company's apartment complex at 1550 W. Royalton Rd.

"People are becoming desperate and will take desperate measures," explained Whitehead who added the thieves have forged and then cashed some of the stolen money orders. He said they've even tossed stolen personal checks out onto the street. 

A Broadview Heights police detective said it's unclear if the thefts are all connected or if there are copycats.

Click here to see an NewsNet5.com video to accompany the story.