ST. GEORGE – A Cedar City man was arrested Sunday for allegedly stealing hundreds of dollars from vending machines not once but twice.
According to police records, on Monday and Thursday of last week, a man entered the property of a residential housing complex in St. George and walked into a detached building where a laundry room and vending machines were located.
The man, identified by St. George Police as 36-year-old Chad Hendrickson of Cedar City, was allegedly seen on surveillance cameras entering the building in the early morning and walking into the room where the vending machines were.
In the first instance, a vending machine was broken into and $300 in quarters was taken. Damage to the machine is estimated at $350, according to police records.
Photos of the man on the video alleged to be Hendrickson were shown to employees of the facility following the initial incident and they recognized him just prior to entering the building a second time two days later.
The second time a vending machine in the laundry room was again broken into with $100 in quarters taken and an estimated $200 in damage done to the vending machine.
Police caught up with Hendrickson and asked him about the incident. He initially told police he was nowhere near the area when the thefts occurred then said he was simply there to use the restroom.
“It should be noted that Chad had no legitimate reason being (there),” an officer who spoke to Hendrickson wrote in a probable cause statement. “He also has no permission from anyone at the location to be there.”
While ultimately admitting to police that he had entered the building, Hendrickson said it was to use the restroom and get a drink during the second visit. However, he denied breaking into the vending machines, according to the probable cause statement.
Hendrickson was booked into the Washington County Purgatory Correctional Facility and has been changed with misdemeanors for criminal mischief and theft as well as a felony for the burglary of a nondwelling
And just how many quarters make up $400? One thousand and six hundred of them.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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Twitter: @MoriKessler
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Yes but would his meth dealer even accept that many quarters? It’s a lot of weight. Would he have the courtesy to put them in rolls at least?
Yes Bob, drug dealers accept quarters and gift cards…. 🙂 you’re welcome
Really Bob ? Pfffffffffft go back to sleep