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  • Blade

    New Member
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    Aug 22, 2016
    16
    1
    My wife and I were recently the victims of a theft from our locked Clarion Hotel room in San Angelo, Texas.
    The item taken was a Carl Walthers PPK/S 9MM-380ACP Pistol. This was on August 13, 2016
    The theft occurred from within our locked room while we went to the spa located on the 1st floor. The circumstances of the actual time of theft along with the alleged perpetrators interaction with the policeman dispatched to the scene afterwards has me wondering and totally outraged.
    The wife and I return to the Clarion hotel after an eventful and very enjoyable day with the family at the annual Hoelscher Reunion held at the boat club Lake Nasworthy. We park our vehicle and I suggest that we take our pistol up to the room rather than leave it lay on the floor of the vehicle where I felt someone might break in and steal it. As we enter the side door of the establishment I'm carrying a small ice chest and the gun bag that contains the weapon, as we walk up to the elevator on the first floor we observe an individual picking up orange caution cones in front of the elevator and I decided to ask him if he worked there, he replied he was the Head Engineer so I told him of our problem in our room, the bed's mattress closest to the air conditioner where we had slept the night before was collapsed on one side and very irritating to sleep on, he was more than happy to look and followed into the elevator and to our room on the third floor. opening the room I place the ice chest on the floor and the gun bag on the ottoman located very close to the front door. He begins asking what was the exact problem with the mattress so I show him and he immediately strips the bed and begins carry the mattress out by himself pushing on the floor right past the T.V. and Ottoman where the gun lays, meanwhile I'm laying there looking at the T.V. and asking him if he needed my help and he replied that he had it. It was at that point that he slithered between the backside of the mattress and the wall in the narrow opening of the entrance and was momentarily out of my line of sight as he open the door and proceeded into the hallway and closed the door behind himself, only two minutes later he re-entered the room with another mattress and began making up the bed. My wife had come back into the room right about the time he was leaving and asked him to look at the sink and explained it wasn't draining, he said he would take a look at it and quickly left the room. We decided to go to the hot tub (Spa) downstairs and asked him as we left exactly where was the spa located and he gave us directions. As we left the room and pulled the door to the shut he was still hanging out around our room in the hall and watched as we entered the elevator and asked if we were going to be alright as he stood half exposed around the corner. As the Elevator doors shut I tell my wife that sounded and looked a little weird and we shook it off and continued on our way to the spa. Now it's been about 10 minutes and as I get out of the spa a hotel employ named with a name tag that said Joe walks up and hands me another key card for room 301 and said he found it laying on the floor in front of our door, I begin telling this young man that that's not our room and we have both of our cards with us and began to point to them when he completely ignores me and walks off saying I don't know then and that I should turn it in to the front desk, now I'm confused and we all began looking at each other wondering what just happened and why this guy was doing this and what exactly was he talking about and why he hurried off so quickly. We blew it off as being mistaken for someone else or another couple and continued swimming. It was about 20 minutes later when our other family members showed up and we sat down and was telling them of our experience when one of said, "Take the card to the front desk then" and so we had a quick confused laugh and off I went. As I stood at the main desk holding the card in the ladies face she's playing dumb and says, "I have no idea what you're talking about" so I begin explaining to her again what had just taken place and she grabbed the key card and said she'd look into the matter and walked off.
    At this point I'm completely spent and I return to the gathering by the spa. As we sit there talking it over a weird feeling came over me that something wasn't right so I hurried back up to the room to have a look around, so as I look at everything something is not feeling good about the whole episode downstairs and I began taking a quick inventory of our possessions and although I couldn't put my finger on it at that exact moment I knew something wasn't right. Returning back at the spa my wife says shes ready to go up and we immediately return to the room and began looking together when it dawns on both of us exactly whats missing, The Gun!!
    As we stand looking around the room we notice that $500.00 that was laying 5' away from where the gun was sitting is still laying right there untouched and my wife's purse which is laying right next the gun bag is untouched also, everything is accounted for except the gun and my heart falls into my stomach and I run as fast as I can to the front desk exclaiming we've been robbed and requested they call the police. The next thing that happens literally blows my mind, the young lady says "I'm not calling them, that's up to you to do" I almost blew a head gasket!!
    The Nightmare starts to unfold and the next 30 minutes was like nothing I'd ever seen or heard!! The San Angelo Policeman arrives at the room, he appears to be 18 maybe 19 years old and he's not concerned one bit. It's on now so I begin telling him everything that had taken place upstairs and downstairs at the spa and where the gun and the bag that it was in was sitting when low and behold walks in the guy who had replaced the mattress and I yell at saying where's the gun bag it was sitting right here and watched me carry it in, and then I ask him "Do you remember seeing me carrying it in and laying it down right here" and "he blurts out a very quick YES and swiftly changes that to a NO"
    Now were at the point where I get really mad but instead of making an ass out of myself I stayed Quiet.
    The Head Engineer guy offers to check the integrity of the rooms door lock half giggling and with a smirk on his face when the Policeman begins speaking Spanish to the Guy and the guy immediately exits the room never to be seen again.
    My first thoughts are "What the heck just happened and what got said" what the heck gives here?, this young San Angelo policeman was acting like he was friends with this guy and most definitely shouldn't have been speaking Spanish to this guy in front of us knowing we have no idea whats being said. What was said?, Why did the guy leave so quickly?
    It doesn't get anymore suspicious than that and why didn't the policeman make the guy open the maintenance room that's located right next to our room where he obviously retrieved the spare mattress from to look for my gun and bag? I told the policeman he did this in all of 2-3 minutes.
    What is (SOP), standard operating procedures for theft in a locked hotel room with only one other person being in the room besides me, my wife and he standing right in front of the policeman?
    Do we have any recourse on the hotel or the Policeman or the San Angelo Police Department and why haven't we ever been contacted since?
    Something's wrong with this entire deal!!
    Guns International
     
    Last edited:

    Vec

    Well-Known
    Rating - 100%
    13   0   0
    May 8, 2015
    1,298
    31
    suburbs
    most hotels put a statement declaring the limitation of loss for stolen items somewhere in your room or on your receipt.

    Before traveling, you may simply want to ask yourself if it’s worth the risk of losing something that has sentimental value. Just because you may be reimbursed for the item doesn’t mean you can actually replace a family heirloom or other beloved item.


    my opinion is

    you were irresponsible and lost a firearm It's your fault, not the hotel's, not the maintenance guys, not the cops, your fault chances are it will never be recovered.
     

    Blade

    New Member
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    0   0   0
    Aug 22, 2016
    16
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    Thank You for your opinions and all the replies, keep'em coming
    I hope this is readable to everyone!!
     

    Blade

    New Member
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    0   0   0
    Aug 22, 2016
    16
    1
    Hi Vec
    It seems your a very close neighbor, small world!!
    Now you said I was irresponsible, why?
    Does a person not have the reasonable expectation of Safety, of themselves and their belongings while staying at a Reputable establishment?
    Is it not reasonable to say that hotel employees should not be picking up and removing the Hotel patrons belongings while cleaning or repairing deficiencies in the room during a stay?
    Is it our vault for going to San Angelo, Texas in the first place or is it the whole renting a room at a Reputable establishment?
     

    txinvestigator

    TGT Addict
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    May 28, 2008
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    Ft Worth, TX
    Why did you post this again?

    https://www.texasguntalk.com/forums...rl-walthers-ppk-s-9mm-kurz-san-angelo-tx.html

    The policeman has to have a warrant to make the guy open a room. He didn't have a warrant, did he?

    I think you are way off base here. You haven't been contacted because there is nothing to tell you. Your stolen gun is not a high priority for getting a warrant, By the time a warrant could be obtained, IF ONE WOULD BE ISSUED on the weak PC regarding this, thee gun would be gone.

    What would you have the LEO do to show concern, cry? Your theft is not a major case.
     
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    ussoldier1984

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    Mar 11, 2016
    1,451
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    DFW area
    If I have my handgun with me at a hotel I have a small safe that fits one gun and it has a steel cable that I wrap around something strong if I have to leave it alone in the hotel room, but I also put up the do not disturb sign so no cleaning people come in. You have to be extra cautious when carrying a firearm while staying in hotels. You won't catch me ever leaving a weapon unsecured at places like that.
     

    Blade

    New Member
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    0   0   0
    Aug 22, 2016
    16
    1
    Gun Stolen San Angelo Tx

    http://sanangelolive.com/news/crime...ree-arrests-stolen-gun-narcotics-and-warrants


    Blade:
    This was my dads gun that was recovered, San Angelo Police Det. Russel called the next day after news story was released and said he had the gun but needed to verify the numbers and we'd have to wait to get it back. Months later I asked Det. Russel for an update and he sends me this,


    JAKE RUSSELL
    To; Ralph Kessler Today at 8:20 AM
    Sir,
    At this point I still do not have the serial number for the firearm stolen. Make and model of the firearm has been checks and nothing similar shows to be in the pawn system. At this time the case has been listed as inactive, meaning that although active work on the case has been discontinued, additional information such as new evidence will cause this case to be pursued.
     
    Last edited:

    45tex

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    Love it. The OP is obviously upset and concerned. Texas gun Talk's folks tell him how stupid he is. Then everyone becomes a moderator and is concerned beyond reason that it may be a re-post. If you have nothing to say, go away.

    Personally I think the kiddie cop should be reprimanded for his failure to translate. No warrant is needed if permission is given. Yes leaving a weapon unsecured in any hotel room is not wise. But it is in no way the OP's fault the hotel may hire thieves. The hotel has some liability since their security system failed or its an inside job. (I.E. no damage to hotel property) Only employees should be able to print key cards and a record of all cards printed should be kept. The "so what" attitude of LE and the hotel is a key factor in the continuing commission of such crimes. IMHO
     
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