Finders-Keepers Suspect Has Been Identified
UPDATE: Thanks to the public's help, the suspect and been identified and contacted by SBPD detectives; the investigation remains ongoing.
Source: Santa Barbara Police Department
On Monday, October 22, 2018 a patron ate lunch at Rusty’s Pizza Parlor, located at 111 State St. The patron, who was headed to the bank to make a deposit following the meal, began to count his money at the table. The patron’s wife scolded him and told him that he should not count his money in public. He then placed the money back into his pocket. As he left the establishment -- unbeknownst to him -- the sizable amount fell out of his pocket and on the floor. The patron and his wife then left the restaurant.
Within moments, a male subject (picture attached) wearing a red plaid button down shirt, who had just finished paying for a pizza, walks from the front counter to a booth near the fallen cash. The subject places his cup on the table and then bends down and picks up the cash. The subject nervously looked around as he sits down and examines what he has found. Realizing what he has recovered, the subject then walks out of the restaurant, without getting his food and without his soda cup.
The victim walks back into the restaurant less than a minute after the subject to search the area for his missing money. The male subject returns to the restaurant and observes the patron searching for his missing money. The male subject does not make any effort to return the money.
The crime of misappropriation of found property (485 PC) reads as follows:
One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.
In an effort to recover the misappropriated money, the Santa Barbara Police Department Property Crimes Unit has initiated an investigation into this case. If you have any information as to the identity of the suspect in this case, please contact Detective Lowry at (805)897-2326, or by email at [email protected]
As always you can make tips anonymously to the SBPD at (805) 897-2386.
52 Comments
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Nov 06, 2018 09:39 PMWe’ve been waiting patiently: who was he?
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Oct 31, 2018 03:03 PMIndependent is reporting that he was arrested on Monday - ?
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Oct 31, 2018 07:10 PMNo, the Independent published neither. No one has yet.
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Oct 31, 2018 05:46 PMI was wrong, they published the name of the man who lost the cash.
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Oct 31, 2018 05:46 PMYes and the SB Independent also published this persons name.
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Oct 31, 2018 08:57 AMFactotum, time for a new handle.
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Nov 06, 2018 10:00 PMTime for you to look up the definition of factotum. A local busy body. Fits me perfectly.
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Oct 30, 2018 10:05 PMSo, did Columbus "discover"
a new continent or didn't he?
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Oct 30, 2018 10:19 PMYes, Columbus discovered a new continent he, nor most in Western Europe absent the lost Viking records, did not know existed.
Did those coming across the Bering Straights from Taiwan discover a new continent? Did the Taiwan diaspora discover Columbus?
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Oct 30, 2018 08:35 PMThat's interesting the name is withheld?! Not so lucky for, as I recall, a group of men with their names and faces plastered all over the news for a more forgivable action.
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Oct 31, 2018 05:33 PMAre you talking about the "Johns" who were part of a sting to remove human trafficking (prostitution)? If so I would not call that a "lesser" crime.
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Oct 30, 2018 07:54 PMThis will probably get downvoted to Bolivian, but I can't stop thinking how uncanny his resemblance is to the Tony Hawk character in the Playstation 2 version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
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Oct 31, 2018 08:16 AMOr maybe...Peruvian.
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Oct 30, 2018 05:39 PMOMG!! I knew SB had gone to the dogs and the responses of some heartily reinforce my opinion. This country has lost its moral compass. Me! Mine! Ok to do it cause others have done it and gotten away scot free. My assignment: rent the movie: Pay It Forward
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Oct 30, 2018 06:18 PMThe Golden Rule
Live by it
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Oct 30, 2018 05:29 PMDo unto others as you would have them do unto you.
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Oct 30, 2018 02:50 PMI meant...returned to Rusty's...
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Oct 30, 2018 02:48 PMI take care of Seniors...they are so at risk for this.
Always remind them to close a purse, for men, don't put money in your sweater pocket.
This is stealing to me...
Don't know if it was a senior, but the fact the guy returned is unbelievable !
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Oct 30, 2018 12:13 PMSome seem to think it's not a crime to keep what belongs to others. In this case it is definitely a moral crime. I once found $900 in cash and had to do some work to find the owner who lost it on the way to the Post office to pay bills.
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Oct 31, 2018 02:19 PMMisappropriation of property is a crime. "The crime of misappropriation of found property (485 PC) reads as follows:
One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.
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Oct 30, 2018 11:32 AMThe right thing to do in any situation when you find money are something of value is to try and find the owner. Obviously if you lost a lot of cash by accident you would want it returned. That said I would've given my name and phone number to the manager and told them if someone came looking for the lost cash to call me. How can you trust that if you simply give the lost money to an underpaid employee that they won't keep it for themselves.
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Oct 30, 2018 11:10 AMAdding this scenario to my list of job interview questions. Any candidate who thinks what the suspect did is OK will not be getting a job.
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Oct 30, 2018 10:54 AMIncredible despite the article's citation and production of the CA law on this subject that a number of individuals persist in denying that the conduct of the person who kept this money is a crime!! Maybe ignorance of the law is understandable but this is simply not accepting the law. Or did these commentators not get that far in the story?
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Oct 31, 2018 05:35 PMWell that certainly isn't something I would ever teach my kids! A law is a law. Rules and such, maybe okay to break but not laws.
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Oct 30, 2018 02:39 PMIf you want to change the law work to do so. You are at risk if you simply ignore it. The idea of democracy is that it does respond to what the people want. Whining about the law and deciding to ignore the law is very stereotypically "millennial" it seems to me. Especially when they are busted and then complain about how they shouldn't be held because "everybody does it."
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Oct 30, 2018 12:32 PMTo clarify - I'm not suggesting anything is wrong with this law, just that many people will dispute the morality of many "laws" as they exist on the books. This one is a good one though.
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Oct 30, 2018 11:03 AMRHS - if you've been paying attention to the news lately, sometimes things that are "against the law" are hotly disputed. Just because it is "the law," doesn't mean everyone will (or always should) accept it without question.
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Oct 30, 2018 10:24 AMOr better title would be dumb and dumber
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Oct 30, 2018 10:23 AMStupid is as stupid does. Both people are at fault for this blunder. The dummy that lost the cash and the idiot that pocketed it
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Oct 31, 2018 05:41 PMHow can you equate an error or mistake with a clear moral decision? These two actions are not the same. One was unintentional and the other intentional.
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Oct 30, 2018 10:08 AMPersonal responsibility to have enough class to give the money back when you know someone dropped it.. I knew a guy once saw an older woman drop 4 /100.00 bills from her hand at Christmas time while walking into Longs Drugs and the rat pocketed the money...I was shocked this person would do that as I thought I knew them. Though I was not aware of it being against the law I'm glad it is and I'm glad this guys picture is all over the media locally it is good to know when someone is not honest.
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Oct 30, 2018 09:46 AMJust a few weeks ago there was a news item here about a young guy (maybe a student at Laguna Blanca?) who found a big wad of cash and turned it in. The police located the loser, who was reunited with her money. The good guy got a very small reward, lots of praise, and a sense of having done the right thing. Which guy would you rather know? Which guy would you rather be?
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Oct 30, 2018 09:28 AMlets see some video of the clown who dropped the alleged wad! how much cash was it?
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Oct 30, 2018 02:26 PMI'm sure he's already upset enough, and learned from his mistake. He doesn't need to be identified, and punished further.
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Oct 30, 2018 09:24 AMits not theft and any half @ssed lawyer would win in court. Total jerk move? yes. Absolutely. But this is NOT theft. The guy that had it, dropped it. he lost it. it's not his possession any longer. the young guy that took it, did what most anyone would do. Why would he come back in? His conscious. he'll eventually return the cash. I've been on both ends of this scenario, a few times. It sucks, but to call this a theft is really treading on thin ice and would potentially open up a pandoras box. next they will say, you were going to do something bad in a few days, so we're going to arrest you now. there's a movie about this. anyhoo.....this dude is a total jerkwad, but not a thief. If he had taken in from the man, he' would be a theif. he's just a shi**y person.
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Oct 31, 2018 05:45 PMZEROHAWK - They arrested this person because he broke the law. The law is very clear on this. If you KNOW who dropped the money and you have an opportunity to get it back but choose not to...yeah, that's against the law. If it was in some place where you would never know who dropped it, different story. This guy CLEARLY knew what happened and the guy even walked back in, so he LEFT without his food instead of giving the $ back.
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Oct 31, 2018 02:20 PMNo. Misappropriation of property is a crime. "The crime of misappropriation of found property (485 PC) reads as follows:
One who finds lost property under circumstances which give him knowledge of or means of inquiry as to the true owner, and who appropriates such property to his own use, or to the use of another person not entitled thereto, without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to him, is guilty of theft.
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Oct 30, 2018 11:14 AMIf someone loses something, cash or otherwise, it's still the person who lost it's property. If you take something that isn't yours to begin with (the guy who pocketed the cash knew it wasn't his cash and didn't have the cash before he pocketed it) that would be considered stealing in my book. Some people don't have any moral compass to speak of, and this kook is a prime example. Doing the right thing, especially when no one is looking, is the definition of character. Most would consider someone taking something that isn't theirs a thief.
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Oct 30, 2018 09:25 AMand to carry that amount of cash on you, and not going straight to the bank, is a foolish move on the old guys part.
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Oct 30, 2018 08:25 AMEither you're honest or you're not and, unfortunately, some people are not. I do everything I can to find the rightful owner of anything valuable that I happen to spot on the ground, including cash. I expect the same ethical behavior in others and most times find it but, sadly, some are "ME first, über alles, and screw the rest of you saps and suckers."
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Oct 30, 2018 08:00 AMHey, if he left his soda cup, there is DNA on it! Get on that, do a DNA test!
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Oct 30, 2018 07:54 AMCan someone explain something to me - I assume that they know all the events that transpired (like, the guy saw him come back, etc.) b/c it's all on videotape? Because how do they know all this?
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Oct 30, 2018 07:40 AMInteresting. I dont see how this is a crime, but hey we live in a bizzarro world where criminals are heralded, addicts protected and liars elected... Do people know what is SOP at most Police Departments do across this state and country when they find what they determine to be a large sum of cash on a person at any time during any situation? They take it. They steal it and they keep it. All without any conviction or ruling. And there's nothing you can do about it... To me this is not a crime. Its a lapse of moral judgement and the fool who dropped his money, lost his money and learned an expensive lesson. Dont count your money in public and if its important, keep a tight hold of it. What ever it is.
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Oct 30, 2018 09:32 AMUnder other circumstances I would agree. However, it appears the guy knew who's money it was. He had a chance to return it but kept it for himself. That is theft. I am actually am happy with this story, it's important for people to know about this law next time they see someone drop their wallet.
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Oct 30, 2018 08:45 AMtotally agree, and to have this be some major news event is also somewhat perplexing. is there really no other matters of importance to focus on? i mean, what is next, my cat got fleas from my neighbors dogs and it was on video so we'll post the dogs in question? this area loves the ability to post a picture of someone and shame away. kinda sad.
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Oct 29, 2018 10:21 PMAnd, hey. I dropped a $100 bill on the bus one morning, on a rainy day. All flustered and realized later exactly how and when I had dropped that money on the bus. Certainly some one saw me drop it-----the bus was loaded with passengers. I don't consider it "theft" that the finder kept the money . . . I blame myself for being a doofus and not taking better care of my dough.
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Oct 29, 2018 10:18 PMI wonder if the "male subject" returned to see if the man who lost his wad of money was offering any kind of reward. I don't see in this article where the man who lost the money said to anyone, "Hey. If the person who picked up my money would return it to me, I will give that person a big reward, no questions asked."
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Oct 29, 2018 06:51 PMDid he pay by credit card? If so, can't they use the time stamp on the video to match up with the credit card transaction to find out his name? I feel badly for the man who dropped the money - I know that sense of panic. That this guy stood by watching, and kept the money without saying anything, says everything a Judge would need to know about his character.
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Oct 29, 2018 06:12 PMThey can also figure out who he is by his cell phone tracking records.
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Oct 29, 2018 06:36 PMdont they need the number in order to track that? if they have the number they have the owners name, so I still dont see how this would not already be something they did. If they have his cell number, which no where in the article did they say they did.
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