BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      A man wanted on at least 17 warrants, mostly for theft and trespassing at local business, is back in jail after he was found by the Ohio State Highway Patrol as a passenger in a car that had been stopped for a traffic violation last week.
      According to records of the Mahoning County Court systems, Elijah Taylor, 45, of 346 Mistletoe, Youngstown, Oh., (a home with a $3.11 annual property tax) has a record of 60 convictions for property crimes dating back to 1998.
      He has been able to elude police, as well as the court system on many occasions with claims of a variety of medical issues, as well as treatment for claims of drug overdoses.
      When located on Nov. 26 by the OSP, Taylor was taken to Mercy Health/Youngstown for treatment of an overdose. After eight hours in the medical facility. Taylor was lodged into the county jail.
      Taylor has yet to serve a 333 day jail sentence stemming from a Mar. 14 conviction on a theft charge. He was lodged into the County Jail without bond on those convictions that included theft, as well as trespassing, escape and possession of drug paraphernalia.
      On Sept. 16, Boardman police were told a theft suspect at Burlington Coat Factory was identified as Taylor, who selected towels and several bed sheet sets valued at $154.89 and then went to a register and attempted to return the items.
      “When he wasn’t able to produce a receipt for the return, he stated he would just keep the items and exited the store without making an attempt to pay for anything,” Ptl. Jeff Lytle said.
      During a search incident to his arrest, police said Taylor was found to be in possession of a suspected crack pipe, as well as numerous packages of candy that were from Ollie’s in the Boardman Plaza.
      Taylor was placed into handcuffs and then into a police cruiser. “While in the back of the cruiser, Taylor began to complain of having a panic attack and was transported by Lanes Lifetrans to Mercy Health/Boardman. Once released from the hospital, Taylor was taken to the county jail. “Taylor slept most of the way,” Sgt. Glenn Patton said.
      Then, according to police, once at the jail “Taylor would not wake up,” so after verifying the suspect had a pulse and was breathing, an ambulance was summoned and a deputy administered two doses of naloxone to the man, who then “was more responsive,” Sgt. Patton said, adding “It should be noted, according to medics, Taylor would talk with them, and then when he saw me, he would lay down and become unresponsive.”
      Taylor was then taken by ambulance to Mercy Health/Youngstown for further evaluation. Once cleared by the medical staff, Ptl. Makenzie Butcherine took Taylor back to the county lock-up for booking.
      “The medical staff at the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office deemed that Taylor was still impaired and would not accept him for booking. Taylor was drooling on himself, he could barely walk or talk, and his body would spasm every couple minutes,” Officer Butcherine said, adding the jail’s medical staff requested that Taylor be taken back to Mercy Health/Youngstown for a re-evaluation.
      Once back at the hospital, Officer Butcherine reported “The general nurse in charge of Taylor suspects that Taylor may be faking his symptoms to avoid being booked into the jail, based on her medical experiences and observing Taylor’s behaviors.”
      Eight hours after the incident at Burlington Coat Factory, Taylor was still at Mercy Health/Youngstown. Officer Butcherine noted “During Taylor’s time within the hospital, he had leg shackles attached to one of his ankles and the other end to attached to the bed, in an attempt to prevent his escape.”
      On Sat., Sept. 21 at 7:16 a.m., Ptl. Evan Beil said he had obtained information that Taylor “absconded from Mercy Health/Youngstown.”
      Officer Beil noted on Sept. 20, that “Taylor may have had contact with Hermitage, Pa. police after he was found inside of a stolen vehicle with another party. He did not face any charges from that incident.”
      In addition to the 17 warrants on Taylor when he was found at Mercy Health/Youngstown, Taylor now faces more charges for theft.
      While eluding police on the 333 day jail sentence, Taylor was identified as a suspect in a Sept. 5 theft at Lowes, 1100 Doral Dr., where two fans valued at $298.96 were stolen. That theft was not reported to Boardman police until Sept. 13, and only after Lowes loss prevention reviewed store surveillance cameras.
      A police report on the matter noted that Taylor had signed a statement of understanding on Mar. 5 that he had been trespassed from the store.
      Despite the trespass warning and unserved jail time, police were told that Taylor was back at Lowes on Sept. 26, this time as a suspect in the theft of $151.23 worth of merchandise, including $29.98 worth of laundry detergent.
      However, Lowes didn’t report that incident until Oct. 4.
      On Oct. 25, police were told by a loss prevention employee at Wal-Mart, 1300 Doral Dr., that Taylor was a suspect in an Oct. 12 theft at the store when a entertainment/electric fireplace set valued at $649 was stolen shortly after 7:30 a.m.
      “Taylor loaded the merchandise onto a shopping cart and pushed it out the store, passed all points of sale, without paying for the merchandise,” Officer Beil said.
      The theft was reported to Boardman police only after a review of the store’s surveillance footage.
      Police were told that Taylor was back at the Burlington Coat Factory on Oct. 29 as a suspect in the theft of two bed comforters valued at $49.99 each.
      During that incident, police reported that Taylor “grabbed two comforters and then went to a register asking for a return.”
      When a Burlington employee said she was going to get a manager to talk about the ‘return,’ “the male ran out of the store with the comforters,” Ptl. Cam Bednar said.
      On Nov. 2, police reported that Taylor was back at Wal-Mart, “pushing his shopping cart to the exit without paying.” This time, police were told that Taylor stole $9.12 worth of vegetable oil and Ninja cream valued at $149.
      When confronted by store loss prevention, Taylor stated he paid for the goods. Police were told once confronted,Taylor fled on foot, leaving the goods behind. Police were told that Taylor had been trespassed from Wal-Mart on Nov. 9, 2022.
      On Nov. 18, Lowes told police that Taylor was a suspect in thefts at the store on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.
      On Nov. 12, police were told that Taylor “selected” a wall-mounted fireplace valued at $199, then fled from the store and got into a Town and Country van registered to someone in New Middletown, Oh.
      The next day, Taylor was back at Lowes where he “selected” an infrared heater and electric stove with a total value of $219.
      “Taylor places them in a shopping cart and walks past the employee at the outdoor register. He places the items into a [red vehicle] that he arrived in and leaves the parking lot,” Ptl. Matt Sell said, noting the incident had been captured on a surveillance camera.
      Three days before he was captured by the OSP, Boardman police were told that Taylor was back at Lowes, and is a suspect in the theft of two ceiling fans valued at $599.96.
      “Taylor placed two fans into his shopping cart and proceeded past all points of sale,” Ptl. Kyler Freeland said, noting the merchandise was placed into a Jeep Cherokee driven by an elderly white man who could not walk without the assistance of a cane. That incident was captured on a surveillance camera.
      Taylor was scheduled for an arraignment hearing before Boardman Court Judge Joseph Houser on Dec. 3.
      Judge Houser has noted that Taylor “has failed to appear in court multiple times and is ordered held without bond in the Mahoning County Jail.”