Crime & Safety

Mentor Police Arrest Easter Bunny On Theft Charge

Justin Medema was arrested on a felony theft warrant after he finished pretending to be the Easter Bunny at a local retirement home

Mentor Police officers arrested a man who was pretending to be the Easter Bunny Saturday.

Police were looking for 27-year-old Justin Medema because he is suspected of shoplifting more than a $1,000 worth of DVDs from , Mentor Police Sgt. Michael Majernik said.

Mentor Municipal Court issued a warrant for Medema's arrest. Officers then found out that he was working as the Easter Bunny at Heartland of Mentor, a retirement home, Majernik said.

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On Saturday afternoon, police came to the retirement home and arrested Medema. They let him finish working his shift first, Majernik said.

Medema, who lives in Painesville, will be arraigned today in .

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He was previously convicted of petty theft in 2009 in Mentor. He was sentenced to six months in Lake County Jail.

In 2010, he was convicted of receiving stolen property in Lake County Court of Common Pleas and sentenced to 45 days in jail. He was also ordered to complete a drug treatment program and to give 100 hours of community service.


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