Man found with cash register, arrested - April 14, 2005

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2005-04-15

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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, April 14, 2005   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery      SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Health   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Real Estate Guide   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad  TOP JOBS   EXTRA   Ashland News   NIE   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   Volunteer   Moving here?  eSouthernOregon   CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 14, 2005 Man found with cash register, arrested By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune Benjamin Snethen’s career as a carnival worker didn’t last long. After apparently persuading Davis Shows NW managers to give him a job at a traveling carnival that arrived this week at the Rogue Valley Mall, Snethen was arrested early Wednesday in connection with a break-in at a mall retailer. "There were some guys standing in the (mall) parking lot wanting to help set up, and he was one of them," said carnival owner Pat Davis. "I don’t know if he’s what you’d call a local or what. All I know is that he saw the carnival and was looking for some day labor." Snethen, a resident of Norwalk, Calif., was taken into custody by Medford police officers at about 1:20 a.m. Wednesday after mall security guards found him inside Linens ’n Things, police Lt. Mike Moran said. Investigators believe Snethen, 25, was intoxicated when he allegedly hurled a rock through a glass door at the business to gain entry. Moran said when security guards located Snethen, he was destroying an empty cash register, apparently in search of money. Advertisement Snethen is accused of demolishing two of the store’s cash registers, worth approximately $8,000, Moran said. The glass door will cost about $500 to repair. Snethen was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on felony charges of second-degree burglary and first-degree criminal mischief, along with misdemeanor charges of second-degree criminal mischief and attempted second-degree burglary. He was being held late Wednesday on $38,000 bail. Police are investigating whether Snethen is to blame for a similar incident early Wednesday at a Red Lobster restaurant next to the mall and the mall parking lot where the carnival is operating. Restaurant workers arrived Wednesday morning to discover someone had used a rock to smash a glass window. "It’s the same M.O.," Moran said of Snethen’s possible involvement in the Red Lobster incident. Moran said he does not recall any problems with Davis carnival workers when the show stopped off in Medford in the past. Davis, a third-generation carnival owner from Clackamas, said he is well aware of what some people think of traveling carnivals and their "carnie" workers. "My dad didn’t like gypsies because they gave the carnival a bad name," he said. "Carnivals still have a bad rep, but the truth is, it’s just a business, and we don’t condone anything (criminal)." The carnival will remain in Medford through April 24, Davis said. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home  | Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives  |  Site Map  | Community  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s