Nov 19, 2008 9:26 pm US/Eastern
Salvation Army Duped By Conmen In Pompano
Broward County Crimestoppers: 954-493-TIPS.
Store Is Located At 415 East Copans Road
POMPANO BEACH (CBS4) ―
The workers who run the Salvation Army store on East Copans Road say they were ripped off by a man with a sob story.
He said he was trying to help a family that had lost everything in a fire, but instead he and another man helped themselves to $1,000 worth of furniture and took off without paying. In just minutes the store was victimized.
"I'm upset about this," said store manager Rita Lannarone. "I just can't believe that someone would do something like this to you. You try to help people and this happens."
The Salvation Army says it was 3:30 last Friday afternoon, when a man representing a family entered the store. He said he had $1,000 from a church to buy items the family lost in a fire.
"It was a very busy day," said Captain Henry Hudson. "The Assistant Manager felt very sorry about what had happened to the family. The man was even crying about his loss. The Assistant Manager tried to do everything he could to help him."
The two men loaded up a pickup truck with items, a dinette set, a small TV, black chairs, a white sofa, an end table with glass on it, and a bunk bed.
The Salvation Army even gave away an artificial Christmas tree, and stuffed teddy bears. The distracted assistant manager failed to notice the items had not been paid for.
"Our assistant manager failed to check the receipts and make sure the items were paid for. They even came back for a 2nd load," said Hudson.
And now a Salvation Army shelter that this store helps will have less money to operate with.
"That's a loss of $1,000," said Captain Hudson. "That's $1,000 that could have gone to a 100-bed shelter for men with alcohol and drug and other problems, that's a 6 month program."
The Salvation Army says there's a special warning about such thieves this time of year.
"The reason we came to you is to warn you about such crimes that may involve people trying to distract you," said Hudson.
The store located at 415 East Copans Road has been there 25 years, and operates thanks to donated items. Nothing like this has happened there before. The Broward Sheriff's Office is investigating, and they have a number of leads, including phone records. The man who ripped off the store had called the store twice that day—the only person to do so that day. The manager will be checking phone records.
The suspects took off in an older model white Ford pick-up truck that was manufactured in 1969 or 1970, and was very dirty on the inside.
If you know anything or think you've seen the stolen items, call
Broward County Crimestoppers: 954-493-TIPS.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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