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November 4, 2009

Guilty plea in Cal Ripken statue theft

The case of the Stolen Number 8 is one step closer to ending.

One of the four young men charged with stealing Cal Ripken Jr.'s statue from in front of Camden Yards back in September pleaded guilty this morning to theft. Jason Stoneburner, left, got a two year suspended jail sentence, probation, community service and will have to pay the Orioles $1904.50.

I guess that's how much the statues outside the ballpark are worth. Three others charged in the crime that left the city marveling at its brazenness and audacity have requested a jury trial that is scheduled to begin on Friday.

As you might remember, the statue was torn off its base, put in a pickup truck and driven around the city until the suspects got into an argument that prompted a resident near Patterson Park to dial 911. Cops came, found the statue and arrested them.

It prompted Baltimore Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III to proclaim on television: "Don't come to Baltimore to act like a moron."

Posted by Peter Hermann at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Breaking news

Comments

Stupid is as stupid does!

Posted by: tony | November 5, 2009 7:58 AM

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About Peter Hermann

Peter Hermann started covering news for The Baltimore Sun in 1990, first in Anne Arundel County and, starting in 1994, reporting on the Baltimore Police Department. In 2001, he was assigned to Jerusalem as the Baltimore Sun's Middle East correspondent. He returned in 2005 as an assistant city editor overseeing crime coverage. In 2008, Peter returned to the beat as a daily reporter and blogger. A recent BBC report featured him in a segment on the harsh realities of covering crime in Baltimore.

Coverage will focus on crime trends, problems in neighborhoods in the city and elsewhere, profiles of victims and police officers and try to offer readers a fresh perspective on one of the most vexing issues facing Baltimore and its future.

Contributing to this blog is Justin Fenton, who joined The Sun in 2005 and has covered the Baltimore City Police Department and the criminal justice system since 2008. His work includes an investigation into Cal Ripken Jr.’s minor league baseball stadium deal with his hometown of Aberdeen, a three-part series chronicling a ruthless con woman, coverage of the killing of five Amish children at a schoolhouse in Nickel Mines, Pa., and a job swap with a British crime reporter to explore differences in crime-fighting. A special report looking into how city police handle rape cases led to sweeping reforms that changed the way sexual assaults are investigated in Baltimore. He was recognized as the best reporter in Baltimore by the City Paper in 2010 and by Baltimore Magazine in 2011.

Follow @phscoop, @justin_fenton on Twitter