COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Officials are asking for help locating a suspect believed to have stolen $2,000 worth of cigarettes from local stores.
On July 18 at about 1:45 a.m., an unidentified man entered the 7-11 store on South Hamilton Road, walked behind the counter, grabbed more than $500 worth of cigarettes and fled the store.
"The man returns again, went directly behind the counter. This time, he takes over $1,500 worth of cigarettes, turned and walked out of the store," said Columbus police Det. Gerald Milner.
The man fled the scene in a maroon Chevrolet Astro van. The vehicle is said to have a loud, squealing fan belt, officials said.
Authorities said they don't believe the bandit has a smoking habit, but was rather filling an order for resale.
"I think that what we're seeing -- an open boldness of thieves, cameras or not, it just seems like it doesn't make a whole lot of difference," Milner said.
The suspect is described as being black, in his mid-30s, 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 180 pounds with a light complexion and pale brown eyes.
Crime Stoppers posted a reward of up to $2,000 for any information that leads to the arrest and/or indictment of the persons responsible for this crime.
Anyone with information was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 614-645-TIPS. You also can text a tip to "CRIMES" or 274637 with a keyword of TIP125.
Crime Stoppers does not use caller ID or record telephone conversations. A special coding system protects the identity of the caller.
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