Source: www.wkyc.com
Author: Anna Meyer
GROVE CITY, Ohio — Two adults and nine juveniles have been charged with theft after Grove City police say a group of Glenville High School football players stole more than $4,500 worth of merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Goods store last week.
All 11 suspects have been charged with theft. The two adults identified in a Grove City police report were 18-year-old Eason Hankins and 18-year-old Ty Martin. According to Hankins' X account, he previously committed to play football at Kent State University.
The police report, which was released on Sept. 1, says officers were dispatched on Thursday, Aug. 27, to the store on Stringtown Road after store employees reported that a large group of boys, believed to be members of the Glenville football team, had allegedly stolen merchandise.
At the time of the incident, the Glenville football team was in the area ahead of its game against Olentangy Liberty the following night. Glenville won the game, 34-13.
When officers arrived at the scene, police said they found several high school boys walking to and from the Drury Inn on Parkway Centre Drive. An officer contacted a Glenville coach and explained the situation, according to the report.
Police said a Dick’s Sporting Goods employee showed officers three photos of changing rooms the players had entered. The photos showed security tags, clothing tags and empty boxes scattered throughout the rooms, according to police.
The report states that an officer contacted Glenville coach Ted Ginn Sr. and athletic director Paul Lewis. Police were told the team had held a "players only meeting" and that some of the merchandise had been returned, but the players involved had not been identified.
Ginn turned over two bags of clothing and a pair of football cleats to police, according to the report.
Police said they were told there were approximately 80 players on the football team, and a roster was provided to officers. Lewis and Ginn agreed to help identify the players involved once Dick’s Sporting Goods staff could provide video surveillance showing who was involved, according to police.
While an officer was returning the recovered merchandise to the store, police said one of the players approached her and said he wanted to pay for the items he had taken. On Aug. 28, coaches from the Glenville football team assisted police in identifying suspects from surveillance video provided by Dick’s Sporting Goods, according to the report.