BLANCHESTER — Blanchester police are seeking a woman they say has a long criminal history, which now includes allegedly stealing from a Blanchester store.

On the evening of Tuesday, Jan. 7, police were summoned to the Kroger store at 1001 E. Cherry St. regarding a theft.

Kroger employees reported a woman entered the store, filled a grocery cart with items, then attempted to return the items at the customer service desk without paying for the items, according to a news release from BPD Chief Scott Reinbolt.

“When confronted by Kroger staff, the woman grabbed two bags of merchandise from the cart and fled,” he said.

On the following day a Kroger loss prevention officer contacted the police department, who said he had viewed the security tapes from the incident, and was able to identify the suspect as Nicole Holzen, 29, of Dayton, who is suspected of doing the same thing at numerous Kroger stores in the Dayton area, Reinbolt said.

On Jan. 10 police prepared a photo array containing the suspect and showed it to a Kroger employee who was involved in the dispute with the customer at the service desk on Jan. 7, and the employee identified the suspect as Nicole Holzen.

“Holzen has an extensive criminal record dating back to 2009 which includes arrests by police departments in Riverside, Trotwood, Huber Heights, Dayton, Kettering, Englewood, Fairborn and Sheriff’s Offices in Preble, Butler and Montgomery County,” said Reinbolt.

The police department has obtained a warrant for Holzen’s arrest on a charge of theft. She is currently at large, said Reinbolt.