Liberty hotel burglary reported; Youngstown man faces charges

LIBERTY -- A Youngstown man accused of stealing cash from a local hotel is set to return to court today.

Keyshawn Blalock, 27, made initial appearances on felony charges of burglary and receiving stolen property before Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Adler on Tuesday.

According to a police report, officers were called to the Days Inn on East Liberty Street Thursday for reports of a man in a black hoodie, black pants, black mask and white shoes who jumped over the counter and stole cash from the register. Dispatchers reported the suspect dropped the money and fled toward Denny's.

Officers spoke with the hotel's manager, who said he was sleeping in the hotel's back room when he heard a noise at the front desk, seeing a man, later identified as Blalock, taking cash from the register.

The report states the manager told Blalock to get out, but noticed the money missing, approached him at the door and told him that he would not call the police if he left the money, resulting in Blalock dropping the money.

A pedestrian walking near the restaurant confirmed seeing a man running from Denny's, adding that a man matching Blalock's description jumped the fence to the Motel 6 parking lot.

Officers reviewed video from the Motel 6, which showed Blalock leaving his room and walking s toward Days Inn and returning nearly 20 minutes later, with the officer noting that they were able to identify him because of his previous involvement in thefts in the township.

The report states that the Motel 6's front desk worker later reported Blalock had returned to the motel after officers could not find him, and they apprehended him there.

The report states Blalock said he did not see anyone at the desk at the Days Inn, leading him to jump over the counter and take the money, which he dropped.

Officers searched Blalock's book bag, which he requested they bring along with him to jail, and located a Discover card belonging to a man and a Visa debit card belonging to a woman, which were seized and entered as evidence.

Blalock remains in the Trumbull County jail.