TOLEDO, Ohio — Lisa Titkemeier was in court Thursday morning for the first time since she was accused of faking cancer and taking nearly $20,000 from the community. BCI records show the family also received free meals, cleaning services and gift cards.
11 Investigates has spoken with multiple family members and friends of Titkemeier about the alleged cancer diagnoses.
"Not only everything is a complete lie, but she's hurt a lot of people," said Pete, who asked to only be identified by his first name in order to protect his identity.
"Last spring 2023, she helped out with the school play and we were getting into soccer and she got really close with my youngest daughter," Pete said of Titkemeier.
Titkemeier got close with Pete, too.
Things just seemed like, 'okay, is this going somewhere,'" Pete said.
He thought Titkemeier was married to her husband, Ryan, but she told Pete that she was going through a divorce.
So, Pete says the two started to date and Titkemeier broke the news to him.
"Shortly after we started hanging out and stuff, she had mentioned that her cancer came back," Pete said. "She was always getting weekly labs done, she was telling me numbers of her labs and very in-depth medical terms and numbers and I was like, 'is that is that bad or is that good,' and she would explain all of it to me."
He even got pictures of an IV apparently in Lisa's arm.
"Right around that time that she sent me that picture, that's when things started to spiral down and I started noticing things started to surface with her," Pete said.
Pete was skeptical — mostly if Titkemeier was even going through a divorce. But she said she could prove it.
"She sent me a text message of two documents, signed and stamped," Pete said.
The documents were divorce papers for Ryan and Lisa Titkemeier. The address matches their current home.
But, 11 Investigates searched through court records in Lucas County and found no record of a divorce.
Not long after, Pete got a call from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
"That's when I learned the truth about everything," he said.
"We were talking long term, like, 'wow, this amazing. We spent every day together for five months," Pete said.
But now it has been months since Pete heard from Titkemeier and he is left questioning her actions.
"Was there some kind of motivation to do what she did with me? I still don't understand it," he said.
Titkemeier has been charged with a fourth-degree felony count of theft. Her arraignment and plea scheduled for Thursday was pushed back until May 30 after attorneys said more investigation needed to be done in the case.
Multiple people have also told 11 Investigates that Titkemeier was involved with the Anthony Dia Foundation, which is under investigation by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. It's unclear if more charges could be filed against Titkemeier.
Titkemeier has not responded to a request for comment from 11 Investigates about her relationship with Pete.