Media coverage of purse thefts from Summit County funeral homes, church leads to arrest

AKRON, Ohio - Police have cracked the purse thefts case from area funeral homes and a church.

Authorities in Akron said seeing the media coverage led to the man's arrest.

Around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Raymond Jarvis, 49, of Akron, was taken into custody and charged with receiving stolen property and forgery.

Jarvis is behind bars in the Summit County Jail.

Additional charges are pending.

During calling hours on Nov. 11, Melissa Lisy left her purse inside an office at Anthony Funeral Home on South Main Street in Akron. When the purse disappeared, Lisy assumed she misplaced it while dealing with her grief. Later, she learned a stranger came into the funeral home, grabbed the purse and took off.

Police then released surveillance video of the suspect. He was caught on camera, one hour after the theft, at a Circle K in Uniontown, using Lisy's credit card. Police said he charged between $600-$700 on cigarettes and beer.

Police believe Jarvis is responsible for thefts of purses at funeral homes in Cuyahoga Falls and Fairlawn, as well as a church in Copley. All of the thefts happened within the last month.