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Elmwood Place, OH
ELMWOOD PLACE, Ohio -- The Elmwood Place Police Department was baffled by a break-in this week.
According to police chief William Peskin his city has typical crime like everywhere else, but it was the chief of police who was victimized in this case.
The break-in happened in broad daylight around 4 p.m. Monday at 300 Maple Street.
The video shows the suspect kicking open the chief's door and stealing money from the evidence room inside. Police say he took $1,000, and came back to shut the door and wipe off his fingerprints from the knob.
"This is one we wanted to solve with the utmost urgency!" Peskin exclaimed.
According to police, the alleged thief is John Prentis.
Police say Prentis got into the police department building through an open door. Prentis is then on surveillance video breaking into an interior office and stealing items.
Chief Peskin explains, "Actually that was a human error on our part. We did leave one back door unsecured. The one place that I would never go to steal from is the police department."
Peskin admits his own office was violated. He says the suspect is an informant the department has used to help stop crime.
"He knew the ins and outs of the building," according to the chief.
Police say Prentis was aware of a video camera that pointed towards the chief's office, but say he did not believe it recorded video.
Peskin thoughts about the event were blunt, "Everything together just points to how dumb he was. America's dumbest criminals... He would make the number one on the top ten countdown."
John Prentis is expected to be arraigned Thursday morning for breaking and entering among other charges.
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International Association for Property and Evidence
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