Officers were dispatched to the store in the 2100 block of South Main Street just before 5:00 PM Sunday after a suspect left with merchandise after a declined payment.
An employee told police the suspect, described as a Black male with dreadlocks wearing all-black clothing, entered the store and attempted to purchase cigarettes, vaping products, and tobacco wraps.
The suspect manually entered a credit card number into the payment terminal, but the transaction was declined.
The employee did not initially realize the payment had failed, and the suspect left with the merchandise.
The employee said the suspect returned about 10 minutes later and attempted to make another purchase.
When asked to return the merchandise from the earlier transaction, the suspect said he would retrieve it before leaving in a brown SUV.
The employee photographed the vehicle, which police described as a newer brown Chevrolet Equinox displaying an Ohio dealership plate.
Officers used license plate recognition technology to identify the plate as belonging to a Columbus-based business.
An individual contacted about the plate claimed it had been stolen.
Police noted that the plate had been associated with multiple vehicles through September 30 before appearing on the brown Chevrolet Equinox.
Police also reviewed surveillance footage from Vaper World and obtained an image of the suspect.
During the investigation, officers learned the same suspect had visited Tobacco and Vape District on South Main Street earlier that day.
Employees reported that he had attempted to purchase more than $700 worth of merchandise but was turned away.
Employees at Smokers Paradise on East Sandusky Avenue also reported that the suspect had been at their business earlier in the day.
Police are expecting to receive surveillance footage from that location.
The investigation remains ongoing.
