Stealing is Evil: Vomit from the Heart

It's what comes out of a person that pollutes:  obscenities, lusts, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, depravity, deceptive dealings, carousing, mean looks, slander, arrogance, foolishness -- all these are vomit from the heart. -- Mark 7:20-23 (Message)

Good morning folks.

A few weeks ago Zena Fritz and Michael McQuade stole my laptop computer.  It was given to me by my father one year ago.  For about fifty hours a week God has called me to drive the van pictured above.  Fritz and McQuade stole the laptop out of this van.  I was sitting in the passenger seat when they performed their evil deed.

A trainee was sitting in the driver's seat.  The laptop was stolen from the mesh pocket behind the driver's seat.  Fritz and McQuade were sitting directly behind the drivers seat during transportation.  Fritz (tattooed from head to foot), the woman of the pair, was carrying a large bag.  The pair are in their late 20's.

While I didn't see them steal the laptop (If I had I wouldn't be in this situation), the Holy Spirit brought to my mind the thought to check for the laptop minutes after Fritz and McQuade exited the van.  Discovering that it was missing I immediately told the trainee to return to the place where we dropped Fritz and McQuade.

As I exited the van I found myself facing McQuade.  He was returning to his apartment building.  Fritz was nowhere to be seen.  I didn't immediately recognize McQuade as the man who had been in the van.  I haltingly stated that my laptop was missing from the van and asked if he was Fritz.  He said he was McQuade.  I repeated that my laptop was missing.  He acted concerned and entered the apartment building.  I assumed he was going to get Fritz.

I then called the police.  While I was on the phone with the police Fritz exited the apartment building and proceeded to insult me and the agency punctuating her assertions of innocence with expletives.  She was back in the building before I hung up.

It's been about a month since the theft.  The laptop was worth $600 when it was purchased a year ago.  It was in good condition.

Augusta Police Department

After waiting nearly an hour we decided to drive to the police station.  I filed a report of the theft with Officer Anthony Drouin.  He eventually visited with Fritz and McQuade in their apartment.  They denied stealing the laptop.  Drouin didn't find it in their apartment.

While I didn't see them steal the laptop they were the only people with opportunity.  My trainee filed a sworn affidavit with Officer Drouin indicating that he saw the laptop as he was belting in a wheelchair just before we picked up Fritz and McQuade.  This testimony has bumped up the significance of the case somehow.

Yesterday I spoke with the Augusta Police Department person who processes Reports.  Drouin told me that I should get a copy of the report of his investigation.  I am considering filing a lawsuit in small claims court and feel that the report of his investigation would be of some help to me.  I was told the report would cost me $20 and that it would not be complete because the matter was now considered a crime.  The report processing person said that my copy of the report would be "redacted."

I'm not a lawyer.  If I were then I suppose I would understand why the victim cannot obtain a complete report of the police investigation regarding the theft of his property.  While Fritz and McQuade are being transported at taxpayers expense to the tune of thousands of dollars a year the taxpayer (me) is forced to pay for justice.  Something isn't right with this picture.

I've also discovered that filing the small claims lawsuit could get costly.  I've yet to determine how much.  I know that it all starts with fifty bucks for the District Court.  Then there are fees for "serving" the thief.

My intention since the theft has been to file the small claims suit.  While that remains my intention I have decided to add blogging about this experience to the process.  And I won't be redacting anything.