Fairlawn Police Blotter: Elderly Man Missing $50,000 from Bank Box

• A Fairlawn man is reportedly out $50,000 in cash that he entrusted to a family member for safekeeping. According to a police report, Elmer Shaffer asked his daughter to hold $30,00 in cash and $20,000 in rare collectible coins that disappeared from a safety deposit box.

The report indicated that Shaffer's daughter, Melissa Herrick, and her boyfriend, Keith A. Seaver, decided that the money should be kept in the bank while Shaffer had surgery.  On April 27, Seaver and his daughter, Tara Seaver, 20, of Akron, signed for the box jointly at , 2270 W. Market St.

According to the report, Seaver’s daughter co-signed for the box in case her father was unavailable. She returned sometime between April 27 and May 3 and asked a bank employee to open the box because her father -- who had the key -- was on vacation.

A bank employee not named in the report allegedly drilled through the safety deposit box to open it for Tara Seaver. Police were told the woman left with the contents of the box and has not been seen since. 

Herrick and the elder Seaver made the report to police on May 3.

No charges have been filed against anyone in connection with the incident. 

• Joshua K. Thornton of Fairlawn was charged with drug abuse and possessing drug abuse paraphernalia on May 1 after he was stopped driving south on I-77. Police said Thornton was driving without a license. During a search of his car, officers found 7.9 ounces of marijuana and a pipe that tested positive for marijuana residue.

Thornton was released with a summons to appear in Akron Municipal Court.

• The manager of  in Fairlawn told police that items valued at $650 were taken from his car during his shift. Todd McClay, 41, said a cell phone, drill, tool bag and other tools were taken from his unlocked Chevy truck, which was parked in the store lot at 3009 W. Market St.