Man Accused Of Stealing Purse From Mentor Sports Bar

A man is accused of snatching a purse from early Thursday morning.

Mentor Police were called to the sports bar at about 1:15 a.m. With the help of witnesses and Willoughby Hills police, officers were able to arrest a suspect, Benjamin Genovese, according to Mentor Police's Facebook page.

The police were also able to find the victim's purse and its contents, except for its cash which was missing.

Genovese, 33, of Willoughby Hills, was charged with grand theft and arraigned Thursday morning in . Judge John Trebets set the suspect's bond at $5,000, which was not posted.

Genovese's next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 5. If convicted of grand theft, he could spend up to a year in prison.

Genovese has been convicted of theft several times before. He was convicted of separate theft cases in Mentor Municipal Court in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010, as well as a case in Lake County Court of Common Pleas in 2007.

He's also faced drug and domestic violence charges in the past.

The following arrest information was supplied by the Mentor Police Department. It does not indicate a conviction. For questions about this story, email jason.lea@patch.com.