BOARDMAN — Three people were arrested on theft and other charges after one of them called in a report to another location, trying to throw law enforcement off their trail.

Timothy Thompson, 33, of Salem; Steven McGrew, 35, of Goshen; and Sara Myers, 29, of Goshen, are in the Mahoning County jail.

Thompson is facing charges of obstructing official business and theft; McGrew is facing robbery, inducing panic and obstructing official business charges in addition to two counts of driving under suspension and multiple other traffic charges; and Myers is facing robbery and theft charges, according to jail records.

Just before 11 p.m. Friday, Boardman police were dispatched to Walmart for a shoplifter running from the store, with two other people, headed toward Applebee’s.

Loss prevention at Walmart described their vehicle as a dark-colored SUV. The employee observed a man, later identified as McGrew, going to different sections of the store and placing 10 items valued at nearly $140 in a cart, a police report states.

The suspect made his way back to the front of the building, grabbing “a handful of Walmart shopping bags from the self-checkout” and continued to another area within the store. He put items from the cart into the bags, placing them back into the shopping cart and proceeded to the front of the store where he was stopped by loss prevention.

The suspect left the cart and ran to the SUV, which “quickly left” the parking lot.

Officers reported seeing the SUV near Applebee’s unlocked with keys in the ignition. Dispatch received a call around that time regarding a “large fight” at Cinema South. Later it was determined the call was made by McGrew to lead officers away from the trio at Applebee’s using Myers’ phone, telling dispatch his name was “Mike.”

Responding officers to the theater found no problems, the report states.

After returning to Applebee’s, the restaurant manager told the officers that three suspicious people had entered recently, going straight to the restrooms.

The manager then said one of them was sitting at a booth. As officers entered the building, Thompson and McGrew ran, and were located outside while Myers was detained and handcuffed as she exited the restroom.

McGrew was found to have two knives, later admitting he had them while “committing the theft offenses,” the report states. Myers also was found to have a folding knife, which she also had during the incident.

From surveillance, loss prevention from Walmart identified Thompson as opening and taking headphones and a knife, with Myers “concealing” merchandise in her purse then leaving, the report states.

Thompson also had three active warrants from Columbiana County, Trumbull County and the parole authority.

Officers discovered three used syringes and other drug paraphernalia in the SUV, as well as two glass pipes at the restaurant, the report notes.

news@tribtoday.com.