Thief pretends to pay for items at 2 Krogers

An unidentified man stole items from two Kroger stores in Dublin on consecutive days in October by pretending to pay for them and then leaving the store.

Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the thief.

A man in his 20s or 30s who was dressed in winter clothing and had a dark mustache walked into a Kroger at 7100 Hospital Drive near OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital on the evening of Oct. 23, grabbed several cigarette cartons and other items and took them to the checkout area, a Crime Stoppers news release said.

After the items were bagged, the man chatted with the cashier as he slid a card into the credit-card reader and pushed buttons on the keypad, seemingly at random, before grabbing the bags and leaving the store before the payment was complete, the news release said.

The cashier was unable to complete the transaction, and store employees were unable to catch the man.

A man of similar description committed the same type of theft at a Kroger store at 7625 Sawmill Road near Hard Road the following evening.

Police believe the same man is responsible for both thefts, and they suspect he has stolen goods from other stores in central Ohio.

Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for anyone who can provide information that leads to his arrest and indictment.

Anyone who has information about the thefts or can identify the thief is asked to call 614-461-TIPS, submit a tip online at stopcrime.org, or submit a tip through the P3 Tips mobile app.