A man was caught breaking into a tornado-damaged grocery store before claiming to be a police officer.
Thomas Jones Jr., 48, was arrested Sunday night at Grocerylane, 1451 Troy St.
>> RELATED: Tornado damages grocer in Dayton, already a food desert
Both the landlord and tenants have tried to protect this facility, but someone spotted Jones trying to break in.
“We are at 1451 Troy St., there’s a man that broke into our store,” a caller told 911 dispatchers.
When crews arrived, Jones claimed to be an officer but police knew Jones had no connection to the store’s manager Has Patel, who hoped to reopen but is in a landlord-tenant dispute.
>> Dayton Shooting: Several officers placed on leave return to work
Jones was booked into the Montgomery County Jail for breaking and entering and impersonating a police officer.
He will appear in court in the next few days.