Lorain County Sheriff looking for man and woman with baby who stole gun from farm supply store

LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio (WOIO) - On Friday, March 31, a woman identified as Jessica Hughes made contact with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Detective Bureau to clear her name, the sheriff’s office says.

Officials say Hughes arrived at the sheriff’s office, where she agreed to do an interview.

While Hughes was getting interviewed, the detective bureau office received information that the clothes the suspected man was wearing were located in the trash of a neighboring house near Hughes’s home.

A search warrant was obtained for Hughes’s residence.

The sheriff’s office says the stolen handgun was located in Hughes’s residence, inside of a microwave.

She was charged with 2nd-degree Obstructing Official Business and 3rd-degree Complicity to theft.

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man accused of stealing a handgun from a farm supply store in Carlisle Township.

Detectives believe the man had an accomplice, a woman, and they worked together to steal the 9mm handgun from Rural King on Oberlin Road.

On Thursday morning a little before 10 A.M. a dark-colored sedan pulled into the parking lot of Rural King. A man, woman, and small child got out. They immediately split up. The man went directly to the sporting goods section. The woman and child come in a minute after him and head in the same direction. Customers of Rural King were surprised to learn about what happened.

“Makes me worried about my grandkids,” said customer Peter Crowley. “I think you know they should not be so accessible, so I think in some ways I think that the store is responsible.”

Surveillance video shows the man at the gun counter. He asked the clerk to look at several different firearms. Then the woman comes over and starts browsing distracting the clerk. The man asked to see a 9mm handgun and as soon as the clerk turned his head the man took off running with the gun.

The man gets into a dodge dart and drives off. The woman left a minute later in the same dark sedan.

“That’s pretty disgusting,” said Crowley. “Unfortunately for whatever reason, they want to get access to a gun. I guess they’ll use whatever means they can.”

“I own firearms and I believe everybody has the right to but when you steal you’re stealing them for a purpose,” said customer Larry McClintock. “He must not have been able to get one legally or gone through the system.”

“Why you getting the child involved like that?” asked customer Willa Harrington.

The sheriff’s office is asking for help identifying the suspects. If you have any information, contact Detective Aschemeier at 440-329-3757.

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