Buyer Beware

Late one morning when I was working the day shift I was sent to The Holiday Inn concerning a theft.

I met with a man in his fifties who wanted to report a stolen television.  It was stolen from his hotel room and the hotel was going to hold the man responsible.

The man explained the situation as follows.  The man was a farmer who came to town for the Livestock Auction. He checked into his hotel room early the previous evening. He had a prostitute stay with him in his room that night. He left the woman and money for her services in the room when he left early the following morning to attend the auction. He returned to his room about 11:00 and both the woman and the television that had been in the room were gone. 

He wanted to file charges against the prostitute. He knew her first name and supplied an extensive description.  I requested the man complete a written statement.  He was still insistent on filling charges, but to never contact him at home because he didn’t want his wife to know.

I explained to the man that I would gladly fill theft charges against the prostitute, but the statement he completed and if he went to court, it was going to be apparent the theft occurred while he was engaged in a criminal activit. I told the man that in fairness I would need to charge him with the crime of procuring a prostitute. If the case went to court I could not promise that communication would not be sent to his home.

The man decided he would just pay the hotel for the television and consider the incident a lesson learned.  I don’t specifically recall but knowing myself I probably left him with the words ”When you dance to the music you pay the piper.”  

Should have I ignored the fact that the man was engaged in criminal activity when he was a victim? Should we expect that when we engage in illegal behaviors we should be warned, buyer beware.

Until Tomorrow,

Sally S