Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Require national service ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... Guest Opinion: Plaza fencing is ugly and wasteful ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Require national service ... Wolf once believed to be dead shows up near Crater Lake ... Quarter thief makes off with $866 Police are searching for a thief who apparently prefers small change. Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 30, 2014 at 11:35 AM Posted Jul. 30, 2014 at 11:35 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Police allege Ashland pizza parlor owner tried to blow up building... » Social News Police are searching for a thief who apparently prefers small change. An unidentified man has stolen $866 in quarters from four Medford businesses since June 19. In each case, he used a key to unlock a device that either takes or dispenses coins and bagged the quarters in a brown sack before fleeing. Each theft took place while businesses were open. "It is kind of weird," Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau said. Budreau said the man was confronted only once during the thefts, likely because he looked like he was emptying machines in an official capacity. In that case he fled before employees realized his crime. The man has grabbed enough change to be charged with first-degree theft, a felony, if he's caught. Police describe him as white, in his late 40s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 190 pounds. He is bald, has tan skin and drives a white sedan, similar to a Honda Accord, with Washington plates. Investigators are scratching their heads about where the keys came from, as machine company owners said all keys were accounted for. "We're not sure how he got this key," Budreau said. "That is a mystery." The first theft occurred at about 8:30 p.m. June 19, at Abby's Pizza, 1080 Riverside Drive. Video surveillance shows the man walking in, opening up a change machine, and making off with $81 in quarters. On June 21, an employee at Roundtable Pizza, 2354 Poplar Drive, opened the business and found a box from a coin dispenser hidden in the men's restroom. Inspection of the change machine showed the box had been forcefully removed. The suspect grabbed up $600 in quarters and caused $300 worth of damage to the machine in that incident. There were no surveillance images available. At 10:09 p.m. July 15, surveillance images from the Trophy Club, 812 S. Central Ave., show the man walking in, opening the jukebox and leaving with $50 in quarters before driving away in a white car. The final theft happened at 1:10 p.m. at the Medford Center's Little Caesars when the man opened a video game in the lobby and stole $135 in quarters. When confronted by an employee, the man lied that he was there on official business and fled, police said. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Medford police at 541-774-2250. — Ryan Pfeil DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 30, 2014 at 11:35 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501