WhidbeyNewsPost.com

An extraordinary event took place in front of Oak Harbor Wal-Mart early Wednesday evening. A two legged “thief”, by most accounts, grabbed the Salvation Army donation kettle and ran like a gazelle to his, her or its freedom no doubt to finish their Christmas shopping.

The kettle was estimated to be valued at about $40.00. There was one witness to the incident but the description of the “thief” was “vague”. This as reported by the Whidbey News Times.

I filed for a report from the Oak Harbor Police Department and was given a redacted report that disclosed the Red Bucket was valued at $40.00, the lock on the bucket was valued at $16.00 and that an estimated $200.00 in cash was in the red bucket.

I asked the Oak Harbor Police for the name of the eyewitness and was denied that information. I asked was the “thief” man, woman, tall, short, fat, thin, white, black, red, yellow, young, middle aged or old. I was told the crime is under investigation and that they could not comment on the crime.

I contacted Wal-Mart (some would call it China-Mart) and I was told they knew nothing and had given all their surveillance tapes to the OHPD.

I contacted the Salvation Army and was told they could not comment on the event. I am puzzled by all this. How do you solve a crime in this manner?

The three main ways in which every crime is solved is by: 1) Community involvement, 2) Criminals rating each other out and 3) Old fashioned flat footed hard nosed police work.

More to follow on this event…