(WJW) ONTARIO, Ohio — A woman seen in surveillance video taking a stuffed animal from a 14-month-old child’s grave site has turned herself in to police.
A large stuffed duck was placed at the grave around 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Video taken at the cemetery shows a woman walking away with the toy around 1:30 p.m. The video was circulated through social media yesterday.
According to Ontario police, Frieda Kay Shade, of Mansfield, then went to the police department, admitting to being the person on video.
She said she’d witnessed a loose dog on the property, and said she took the stuffed animal to keep the dog from destroying it.
Shade was served a summons for petty theft.
Police said it wasn’t the first time items have disappeared from the child’s grave.
According to officers, Hayden “Tank” Cole Sheridan died in 2007, and items started to disappear shortly after. They included things like toys and solar night lights.
Tank’s parents finally went to the police in 2012 and a surveillance camera was set up.
Though it rolled for years, a clear picture of a suspect was never caught until April 19.
There is no word on if Shade is the suspect in the other thefts.
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