Steubenville Police

Sleeping over: A resident said she let her children’s godparents take them to Weirton on Saturday, and they still hadn’t returned them, Monday. After she contacted them Sunday, police suggested she contact Weirton police and meet them at the godparents’ residence but when she told them she didn’t have a ride to Weirton to get them, police reached out to their Weirton counterparts who did a welfare check Sunday and reported all seemed in order and unless the mother could go across the river to get them there was nothing more they could do at that point. At that time the mother also complained her daughter had “messaged her telling her that she doesn’t want to come home and called her a terrible mother.” Police said the mother contacted them again around 10:45 p.m. Monday to report the kids still weren’t home and said the reason she waited so late in the day to address the issue was because “she had been asleep,” so they suggested she should “handle the issue during daylight hours.” They also suggested she find a ride across the river to get them. Police said as they continued to discuss the issue, “she became more and more irritated” and eventually told them to “get out of her house and began throwing items about the kitchen.” Police said the woman told them she hasn’t spoken with the godparents because her calls have been blocked. She wanted police to file kidnapping charges, though she admitted she’d willingly allowed the children to go.

Causing problems: Callers reported a couple arguing in the 700 block of North Seventh Street and claimed the male took his baby from its mother before leaving, Monday. Police located the man standing outside the apartment “holding a small baby,” and said he told them he was the baby’s father “and was returning her” to the mother. After the baby’s mother took her baby back, police said the man left, and said she asked them about a protection order.

Moving day: The owner of an apartment in the 700 block of McDowell Avenue said a couple who’d rented it broke the lease and moved out a week ago and “still owned him (about) $3,000.” He said he’d sent an employee to perform a walk-through several days ago and was told it’s possible the tenants “had possibly taken the fridge and a wooden table with four chairs” that belonged to him with them when they moved out.

In a rut: Employees at Wal-Mart told police Monday a man who uses a Hot Wheels price code to scan higher price toys has hit them at least six times during the past month. They said they were investigating the purchase records of a man detained a week ago for theft when they discovered in at least three instances the same man was “in the store … and placed a ($1.50) bar code for a Hot Wheels toy car” over the bar code for a pricier toy valued at $27.97. On another occasion the same man allegedly purchased two pairs of $19.78 jeans but only scanned one, and yet another time he’d scanned a bar code for a $1.50 cup in place of merchandise valued at $55. They said the stolen merchandise was valued at just over $181.

Food run: Police were told a man who apparently travels by city bus has been “walking into the store, stealing sandwiches and leaving without paying for them,” Monday.

Steak out: Employees at Wal-Mart told police a woman left the store with two steaks but paid for only one, Saturday.

Trading up: Employees at Wal-Mart showed police footage of a man walking into the store, “selecting a tote and filling it with trading cards” before leaving without paying for the items, Monday. They said the same man had put baseball and pro football trading cards valued at just under $139 in a large tote the day before and walked out of the store without paying for them.

Beef eater: A man fled Wal-Mart with a 10-pound roll of ground beef he hadn’t paid for, Monday. Employees said he also “price-switched two items with another for a lower price.”

Tool time: A man renovating a city residence told police someone had stolen his tools from the worksite overnight, Monday. He said his Milwaukee battery charger, 10 batteries, three drills , a circulating saw and a corded DeWalt reciprocating saw were stolen. He said he’d forgotten to lock a window before he left the night before.

Booked: Brenda Phelps, 60, 920 Township Road, Steubenville, theft, Sunday.

Code issues: Notice of violation were sent to owner/occupant of properties at 808 N. Sixth Street, garbage bags and litter piled behind residence.

Cited: Wilson A. Carias, 20, Three Springs Drive, Weirton, no operator’s license, and Thomas L. Cominsky, 63, 516 Highland Ave., Steubenville, assured clear distance ahead after a two-vehicle accident at state Route 7 at Franklin Avenue.