Lol
Manchester, NH Man Says He Was Wrongly Accused During Police Sting
MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) - Alexander Ramasci calls it a misunderstanding and a mistake. But it's left him charged with theft.
It began on Monday when he purchased a Christmas present at the Game Stop at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester. When the 23 year old returned to his car he noticed an unattended shopping cart in the parking lot.
"There was a purse and a bag. I wasn't sure of the contents of the bag."
Turns out the items were intentionally placed there by police as a part of a sting to nab holiday shoplifters.
But Ramasci tells WBZ-TV he picked up the items and placed them in his trunk with the sole purpose of taking them home and then finding the rightful owner.
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/12/...s-he-was-wrongly-accused-during-police-sting/
It began on Monday when he purchased a Christmas present at the Game Stop at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester. When the 23 year old returned to his car he noticed an unattended shopping cart in the parking lot.
"There was a purse and a bag. I wasn't sure of the contents of the bag."
Turns out the items were intentionally placed there by police as a part of a sting to nab holiday shoplifters.
But Ramasci tells WBZ-TV he picked up the items and placed them in his trunk with the sole purpose of taking them home and then finding the rightful owner.
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/12/...s-he-was-wrongly-accused-during-police-sting/
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How was what this guy did a crime? If I pick up a droped nickel on the floor of a bank does that make me a bank robber?
This is my first post here....normally I just lurk around but on this one I just had to post.
Cheers...
This is my first post here....normally I just lurk around but on this one I just had to post.
Cheers...
Picking up a nickel is a little different then taking a purse out of a shopping cart and putting it in your trunk.
"Unattended purse in a shopping cart"
If I were in a parking lot and saw a purse left in a shopping cart my first reaction would be to take it so that some scumbag cant get it. Then I would go thru the purse to establish who owns it and contact them if possible. If the purse contained nothing of value I would probably leave it with the store, if it had valuables in it I would bring it to the local PD. I don't think any of these actions warrants an arrest.
I also have to wonder why the PD would waste time using this specific tactic? Leave boxes in the bed of a pickup truck, or inside an unlocked vehicle to target real thieves. There are lots of folks not too fond of the police....can only imagine that this kind of shoddy work would only set them off.
Maybe I'm missing something....papers don't always get the story straight.
If I were in a parking lot and saw a purse left in a shopping cart my first reaction would be to take it so that some scumbag cant get it. Then I would go thru the purse to establish who owns it and contact them if possible. If the purse contained nothing of value I would probably leave it with the store, if it had valuables in it I would bring it to the local PD. I don't think any of these actions warrants an arrest.
I also have to wonder why the PD would waste time using this specific tactic? Leave boxes in the bed of a pickup truck, or inside an unlocked vehicle to target real thieves. There are lots of folks not too fond of the police....can only imagine that this kind of shoddy work would only set them off.
Maybe I'm missing something....papers don't always get the story straight.
You being one of them, I suppose."Unattended purse in a shopping cart"
If I were in a parking lot and saw a purse left in a shopping cart my first reaction would be to take it so that some scumbag cant get it. Then I would go thru the purse to establish who owns it and contact them if possible. If the purse contained nothing of value I would probably leave it with the store, if it had valuables in it I would bring it to the local PD. I don't think any of these actions warrants an arrest.
I also have to wonder why the PD would waste time using this specific tactic? Leave boxes in the bed of a pickup truck, or inside an unlocked vehicle to target real thieves. There are lots of folks not too fond of the police....can only imagine that this kind of shoddy work would only set them off.
Maybe I'm missing something....papers don't always get the story straight.
In fairness it is a pretty shitty sting. If you are going to set up a thief you should not leave them an out.
Grabbing an abandoned purse and putting it in your trunk is too grey an area to justify wasting an officers time trying to explain shit during the trial imo.
Grabbing an abandoned purse and putting it in your trunk is too grey an area to justify wasting an officers time trying to explain shit during the trial imo.
You know nothing about me....and you couldn't be more wrong.You being one of them, I suppose.
I agree that it is not the best type of a sting by a long shot. The Police will not be able to prove the intent to steal the freaking thing, any more than this kid will be able to prove that he had no such intent. That being said, Alexander should have placed a call to the Police ASAP to report this found property.In fairness it is a pretty shitty sting. If you are going to set up a thief you should not leave them an out.
Grabbing an abandoned purse and putting it in your trunk is too grey an area to justify wasting an officers time trying to explain shit during the trial imo.
You know what I'm gonna say about the bold type. I dont even need to say it.I agree that it is not the best type of a sting by a long shot. The Police will not be able to prove the intent to steal the freaking thing, any more than this kid will be able to prove that he had no such intent. That being said, Alexander should have placed a call to the Police ASAP to report this found property.
As for the larceny charge? I dont know anything about NH law, but we all know in Mass, theres not a snowball's chance in hell of proving even PC in front of a magistrate at a show cause hearing for this. Had the guy removed the cash from the pocketbook, or specific items, MAYBE, in NH you could charge something. But it sounds like a poorly concocted sting. I'm actually with the noob GomerPile on this. Why not throw a weighted Flat Screen TV box in the bed of a truck, or leave a window down with a pocketbook on the front seat of a car? Then you're getting people who are legit out to steal shit.
Drop the charges and chalk this one up to a dumb kid, and a dumber sting.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Again, I don't agree with this type of a sting. It's weak at best, if even that. And yes, you don't have to say it. That kid doesn't have to prove shit. The burden of proof is not his. I am just curious what STAR Investigator, thought that any of that was a good idea. If you conduct conduct a sting such as this, wouldn't it be more effective to have a decoy with a pushcart and a purse in it. Having that decoy play a dunce, being inattentive to her stuff, and periodically walking away from it? THAT would be intent. The above described operation is shit. Manchester PD is way better than this.You know what I'm gonna say about the bold type. I dont even need to say it.
As for the larceny charge? I dont know anything about NH law, but we all know in Mass, theres not a snowball's chance in hell of proving even PC in front of a magistrate at a show cause hearing for this. Had the guy removed the cash from the pocketbook, or specific items, MAYBE, in NH you could charge something. But it sounds like a poorly concocted sting. I'm actually with the noob GomerPile on this. Why not throw a weighted Flat Screen TV box in the bed of a truck, or leave a window down with a pocketbook on the front seat of a car? Then you're getting people who are legit out to steal shit.
Drop the charges and chalk this one up to a dumb kid, and a dumber sting.
My two cents: before this thread gets the ole padlock. Do the right thing, Drop it off at Mall Security, walk away and have a Merry Christmas!
I CAN SEE THE LOCK FROM HERE, and I don't even have my glasses on!
I CAN SEE THE LOCK FROM HERE, and I don't even have my glasses on!
I have to agree with Gomerphile also. This just sounds......bull-shittish.
I would have like to have seen a different type of set up. Have a plainclothes female occasionally step away from the cart while in a store. Wait for bad guy/girl to scoop up the pocketbook (or maybe just the purse out of it) and attempt to conceal it. After that I am sure they would make a beeline to the exit to inspect their ill begotten gains. At that point is where the new jewelry should be slapped on their wrists. This just seems to me to be a bit more airtight at trial.
1 - 16 of 16 Posts
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