Is This the area’s Dumbest Cellphone Thief? [Theft]

Perhaps it’s because we’ve seen so many thefts here at Giz which can be worthy of being become films , that everything else pales into insignificance. On second thought-nah, this cellphone thief really is that dumb.

Picture the scene: it’s a Walmart in Nampa, Idaho, and a nameless victim-let’s call him Fred-has just bought a new smartphone. Busy downloading apps before he barely has time to take the plastic wrapping off the phone, he doesn’t see Brian Westerfield approaching. But he does notice when Westerfield steals his smartphone right from under his nose, Seesmic app probably still downloading.

Fred does what any normal app-denied person would do, and calls the cops. What follows is a remarkably simple sting, where the police phoned the thief (handily, they knew his number because of Fred), and posed as a potential buyer. Now, what I’d want to know is what Westerfield thought when someone called him on his recently-stolen phone, seeking to buy it. Didn’t it occur to him that the single one who’d know that number-and that the phone was stolen-is almost certainly the owner?

According to Sergeant Mike Wagoner, they ” dickered over the worth for the phone and so when the suspect did manifest the police obviously were there to fulfill him.”

Adding insult to Westerfield’s injury, after they moved forward to arrest him, he attempted to run off but tripped and faceplanted right there and then. He’s now facing five years of prison, if convicted. And our boy Fred is back, busy filling up his phone’s memory with apps like a true soldier. [ Kboi2 - Thanks, Michael !]

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This post is tagged: insignificance, nampa idaho, plastic wrapping, second thought, sergeant, single one, true soldier