Police Blotter: Homeless Woman Living in Her Car, Surviving on Samples from Costco

A Cuyahoga Falls woman who now lives in her car has been staying in Strongsville, surviving by eating samples at .

Police noticed a truck at the about 4:30 a.m. May 15 and found the woman sleeping inside. It appeared she was living in the truck.

She told an officer she ran out of gas and has no job. He told her she could spend the rest of the night in the lot.

About 5 a.m. May 17, were asked to check out a pickup truck parked behind the city's communication center on Pearl Road.

Inside was the same woman, who said a man who cuts the grass at the cemetery had given her $10 for gas. She said she hasn't been eating, but goes to Costco for samples.

The officer brought the woman a muffin and coffee. When opened at 6:30 a.m., he took her there for breakfast.

Guy Also Sleeping in Car, But for Different Reason

Police checked out a car parked at the vacant Ethan Allen store about 12:30 p.m. May 15 and found a young man snoozing inside.

He told police he had been kicked out of a local university, but his parents didn't know yet. 

So he leaves during the day, hangs out, then goes home as if he'd been in class.

Shin Guard on Dog's Broken Leg

A resdent found two dogs in a Royalton Road parking lot May 16, one wth a broken leg and homemade splint.

Animal Warden Mike Roth picked up both dogs and took the one with the broken leg to the vet.

A report said someone had tied an old soccer shin guard to the dog's broken leg with rags. 

Theft from Car

A $150 iPod was stolen from an unlocked car on Antler Lane the night of May 15.

Death Threats

A Middleburg Heights man said he is getting death threats via phone at home and at his job in Strongsville.

He told police someone called him at work May 15 and said, "I am going to kill you." He received another call that said, "You're done."

He said he already reported it to Middleburg Heights police, too.

Police Help with Imaginary Thief

A woman told police someone is sneaking into her apartment and causing trouble -- taking an item she purchased in 1999, emptying her shampoo bottle and shredding documents in her shredder.

The person is also scraping at the seams of her pants so when she bends over, they split, a report said.

She also said that after police visited her old apartment in Parma, the incidents stopped.

Officers helped assure her she was safe.