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SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 20, 2002 Police charge 3 in fake robbery from Taco Bell By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A Medford woman employed as a Taco Bell manager and two other suspects were arrested Thursday for allegedly faking a robbery at the business last year. Theresa Lynn Romero, 34, of the 1100 block of North Ross Lane, Medford, was cited and released for first-degree theft and initiating a false police report. Romero’s arrest apparently clears up a case she first reported to police over a year ago. "We found out today that this whole alleged robbery was a false report and a conspiracy by three individuals," said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. Walter Witten Mooring III, 24, of the 7000 block of Table Rock Terrace, Central Point also was cited for first-degree theft. Justin Ray Hamilton, 18, of the 500 block of Charlotte Anne Drive, Medford, was lodged in Jackson County Jail on a charge of first-degree theft. His bail was set at $5,000. "They pre-planned this thing ahead of time," said Medford police detective Bill Ford. "The idea was to fake a robbery." On Sept. 16, 2001, Romero told officers she was robbed in the parking lot of the Center Drive Taco Bell around 2:42 p.m. as she was leaving to make a deposit for the fast food restaurant at a local bank. Romero said she was hit from behind as she reached her car by two hooded men who tore the bank bag — containing $3,394 in cash and coins — from her grasp. The two robbers — apparently, Mooring and Hamilton — fled on foot, and Romero went back into Taco Bell and called police. "She put on a big scene and ended up getting a bruise out of it," Ford said. Ford said he found it strange when a witness told police Romero didn’t run but calmly walked back into Taco Bell after she was robbed. She gave officers a phony description of her assailants, Ford said. Mooring and Hamilton went to the Pizza Hut on South Riverside Avenue where, in the rest rooms, they changed into clothes they had brought along in backpacks, police said. Mooring took a cab back to the home the three shared on Humphrey Street. Hamilton walked. Before the robbery, the two men had walked by the drive-through window at Taco Bell to let Romero know that they were waiting for her outside, Ford said. The three divided the money, which they used to pay bills and rent, Ford said. They also bought a 27-inch television, he added. Police in Eugene contacted Medford detectives this week with news of the alleged conspiracy. Eugene investigators had their eye on Hamilton in connection with the theft of an autographed Michael Jordan basketball card worth an estimated $5,000 from a card shop in their city. A friend of Hamilton had contacted police about the theft and also told them that Hamilton had bragged about his part in the Medford robbery, Ford said. It was unclear Thursday night whether Romero was still employed at Taco Bell, where police arrested her. Restaurant managers could not be reached for comment. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S