WARREN, Ohio – Thieves and vandals have begun taking advantage of the closed Insight Health System hospitals in Warren and Howland, according to reports.
In one incident, 1,216 OxyContin pills were reported stolen from a safe.
According to police reports, break-ins happened at each hospital over the weekend of Aug. 15-18 and on Aug. 20.
An employee returned to work Monday morning at Insight Hospital & Medical Center Trumbull to find the safe in his office open and 5mg OxyContin pills missing, reports state. As required, the employee reported the theft to the Ohio Pharmacy Board and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
A Warren police officer was called to Insight Trumbull after a security guard found a broken window on the east side of the building at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Police saw a large brick on a desk after it appeared it had been thrown through a window, but no one was believed to have gotten in through the damaged window.
Less than two hours later, security found a metal grated window that had the covering unscrewed and plywood kicked in. Someone entered the building and discharged fire extinguishers. Footprints led down multiple hallways, but police were unable to find anyone inside.
Security at Insight Rehabilitation Hospital Hillside in Howland also reported a break-in and theft over the weekend of Aug. 15-18, when someone forced a side door open and stole about $400 in hand tools. A second door was reportedly found open Aug. 20, but nothing was determined to be missing at that time.
Though Insight CEO Dr. Jawad Shah has recently vowed to begin reopening the hospitals, both facilities remain closed.
Pictured at top: Insight Hospital & Medical Center Trumbull in Warren.