It is said that a firefighter in Florida stole $200 while going to a medical call where an 80-year-old man was found dead in a hotel room.
The 44-year-old Ryan Hagenbuch is being charged with big theft. A probable cause statement says that the event took place at the Nokomis Inn and Suites near Sarasota on March 9 at around 6:30 p.m. A 15-year member of the Sarasota County Fire Department, Hagenbuch went to a medical call with a new firefighter. The person was said to be dead.
According to the statement, after the police left the room, the rookie said Hagenbuch told him to take “a little bit of lunch money” from the victim’s wallet. The rookie told Hagenbuch to turn his back, and he is said to have taken two $100 bills from the man’s wallet and put them in his pocket.
Hagenbuch is said to have said, “He’s dead, no one will know.”
Because Hagenbuch stole the money, his fellow fireman asked him if he thought less of him. He then tried to explain himself even more.
He is said to have said, “I’m not a scumbag.” “That’s not what I do.”
But then Hagenbuch said something that was not true.
“Everyone does bad things sometimes.” It’s not bad to get some lunch money from a dead person. The affidavit says he said, “It’s not going to hurt anyone or do any damage.”
When they got back to the fire station, the rookie told his boss about what happened. The police tried to talk to Hagenbuch, but he hired a lawyer. He later told his bosses he was sorry and that he had done something wrong.
Not long after that, Hagenbuch quit the fire service. He was caught by police and taken to the Sarasota County Jail, where he has since been released on bond.
Sarasota County fire released the following statement to local NBC affiliate WFLA:
Sarasota County is aware of the arrest of a former Sarasota County Fire Department employee. The individual is no longer an employee of Sarasota County and had resigned their position prior to their arrest. Sarasota County does not comment on individual employee matters, however, staff will continue to assist law enforcement and state agencies as needed during their investigations.
When the allegations were received involving this individual, the Sarasota County Fire Department immediately notified the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office so they could conduct a thorough investigation.
It’s important to note that it was the actions taken by Sarasota County Fire Department personnel that brought these concerns forward. This reflects our commitment to accountability and doing what’s right.
Hagenbuch has a court date scheduled for May 22.
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Veteran Firefighter Caught Stealing $200 from Dead Man by Rookie Colleague, Says It Was ‘Lunch Money’
Veteran Firefighter Caught Stealing $200 from Dead Man by Rookie Colleague, Says It Was ‘Lunch Money’