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BOARDMAN -- A man wanted since May for allegations of shoplifting around the township was arrested Sunday.
Police picked up Jaron E. Lewis, 29, of Youngstown, at Burlington Coat Factory in Boardman Plaza about 11 a.m. after employees there reported him and told police he had stolen from the business previously.
Police found Lewis in the parking lot near a Ford pickup he told them belonged to his father. The report states that the license plate on the vehicle was covered or altered in some way. The officers recognized him as a wanted person from a alert from Boardman police detectives and arrested him.
Lewis had three warrants for theft at Boardman shops, stemming from incidents dating back to at least May 5. On that day, the report states, Lewis was seen at Lowe's, carrying light fixtures and other miscellaneous items out of the store without paying, then leaving in a white Nissan SUV. The man in that report is said to match Lewis's description.
On June 13, police took another report from Lowe's. A man matching Lewis's description was accused of stealing power tools and a houseplant, valued at more than $800, on June 8, and then to have stolen from the store again on June 9. That man supposedly fled in a white Hummer SUV registered to Jerome Lewis.
In addition to the Boardman warrants, Lewis also was found to have a felony probation violation warrant from Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, a failure-to-appear warrant form Columbiana County Sheriff's Office related to a charge of aggravated drug possession, and another probation violation warrant from Liberty Township police.
According to court records, Lewis pleaded guilty to felony drug possession in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in November 2021, and was sentenced in February 2022 to three years probation, drug treatment and random drug testing. A warrant was issued for his arrest in October for failing to comply with the terms of his probation.
He also was charged with obstructing police business after lying to police about his identity when they confronted him in the Burlington parking lot.
Lewis was booked into Mahoning County jail, where he remains at least until his arraignment today in Mahoning County Boardman Court.