NewsChannel 21 Report Leads To Wallet Theft Arrest
Bend police announced Wednesday the arrest of one suspect in the weekend theft of a wallet from a sports center, after citizens saw a surveillance video on NewsChannel 21.His brother is being sought as a second suspect.
Itstarted as a regular Sunday afternoon at work for 18-year-old Lauren Manley, but that’s not how it ended. She left her purse at the front desk, and at the end of the day realized her wallet was gone.
But the thief left some valuable evidence behind – caught on camera, in the act.
“We havesurveillance cameras for a number of reasons, one is to protect the kids and the parents and the staff here,” said Rich Gustafson, the owner of Acrovision Sports Center.
That’s when they turned to surveillance video, which showed two younger-looking men walking right through the front door – but they weren’t there for a gymnastics lesson.
“He was standing on the other side, kind of looked around, his friend came back, and then he reached around and grabbed it, put it in his pocket, and walked off,” Gustafson said.
“It seemslike they might have known where the bathrooms were,” he added. “When they came in, it seemed like they were familiar with the facility.”
Bend police Det. Brian Beegkman said the TV report led to information from citizens identifying suspects Scott Raffaele, 23, and Anthony Raffaele, 20. Scott Raffaele was arrested on second-degree theft charges on Wednesday; Anthony Raffaele was still being sought.
The camera that caught the thief is just one of four at Acrovision Sports Center. One shows the front desk area, another on the front entry, a third on the gymnastics center, and a fourth in the marshal arts center.
The four areas are in pretty close quarters, with plenty of windows between rooms. Add that to the fact there were more than 40 people at the place Sunday afternoon, and thetwosuspects look pretty gutsy.
When asked if the two men look familiar, Gustafson shook his head no.
“I have no ideawho they are, but hopefully we will soon,” he said.
Therewasn’t a lot in Lauren’s wallet – a few dollars, debit and credit cards, and senior pictures from her last year at Bend High. But the point is just how quickly this can happen, and in front of dozens of people.
“Itcan happen any time, anywhere, and you’ve just got to make sure you cover your bases,” Gustafson said.
In the future, hesays they’ll make sure someone’s at the front desk, keeping tabs on who comes and goes. Butfor now, it’s a lesson for everyone to keep a very watchful eye.
