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By Jim Carney
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 06:54 p.m. EDT, Oct 17, 2008
Bath Township police believe they have solved the disappearance of at least 140 Barack Obama campaign signs.
Lorcan E. Dray, an 18-year-old Bath resident and student at Revere High School, has been charged with the theft of the signs, police Chief Michael McNeely said.
Three 17-year-olds, from Bath, Richfield Village and Richfield Township, will face juvenile theft charges as well, McNeely said.
Bath Township resident Jill Rohrer, whose Obama sign had been stolen, said she set up a webcam last weekend and captured on video the images of two people on her property each night, taking her signs.
The first night, she said, the faces could be distinguished. The second night, she said, one was wearing ''like a ninja mask.''
Two-way radio traffic could be heard with the webcam images, she said.
McNeely said after the police received the images from Rohrer, they were taken to ''some sources,'' and the 18-year-old was identified.
''We made contact with him and things started falling into place,'' he said.
The police chief said Dray admitted to the sign thefts and that his parents and the parents of two of the juveniles were cooperative.
The stolen Obama signs have been turned over to the Bath Police Department, McNeely said.
Dray, who was charged with misdemeanor theft on Tuesday and appeared in Akron Municipal Court on Friday, is being considered for a discretionary rehabilitation program for first-time offenders.
''My son made a stupid teenage prank,'' said father Larry Dray. ''He is very sorry he did it. He has apologized for it. He has been grounded. He will not be doing that again. He is very sorry for his actions.''
Dray said the actions of his son, who he said is an Eagle Scout and an honor student, had no meaning ''on a larger scale.''
The father said he hopes the incident isn't escalated into ''something that it is not.''
''You have a major economic meltdown going on in this country and I think that supercedes'' a teenage prank.''
Despite recovering about 140 signs, McNeely said, only a few thefts had been reported to Bath police.
''These go under-reported,'' he said. ''In this case, it really was under-reported.''
Residents of Bath whose Obama signs were stolen should call the police department at 330-666-3736 about picking up a sign.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Bath Township police believe they have solved the disappearance of at least 140 Barack Obama campaign signs.
Lorcan E. Dray, an 18-year-old Bath resident and student at Revere High School, has been charged with the theft of the signs, police Chief Michael McNeely said.
Three 17-year-olds, from Bath, Richfield Village and Richfield Township, will face juvenile theft charges as well, McNeely said.
Bath Township resident Jill Rohrer, whose Obama sign had been stolen, said she set up a webcam last weekend and captured on video the images of two people on her property each night, taking her signs.
The first night, she said, the faces could be distinguished. The second night, she said, one was wearing ''like a ninja mask.''
Two-way radio traffic could be heard with the webcam images, she said.
McNeely said after the police received the images from Rohrer, they were taken to ''some sources,'' and the 18-year-old was identified.
''We made contact with him and things started falling into place,'' he said.
The police chief said Dray admitted to the sign thefts and that his parents and the parents of two of the juveniles were cooperative.
The stolen Obama signs have been turned over to the Bath Police Department, McNeely said.
Dray, who was charged with misdemeanor theft on Tuesday and appeared in Akron Municipal Court on Friday, is being considered for a discretionary rehabilitation program for first-time offenders.
''My son made a stupid teenage prank,'' said father Larry Dray. ''He is very sorry he did it. He has apologized for it. He has been grounded. He will not be doing that again. He is very sorry for his actions.''
Dray said the actions of his son, who he said is an Eagle Scout and an honor student, had no meaning ''on a larger scale.''
The father said he hopes the incident isn't escalated into ''something that it is not.''
''You have a major economic meltdown going on in this country and I think that supercedes'' a teenage prank.''
Despite recovering about 140 signs, McNeely said, only a few thefts had been reported to Bath police.
''These go under-reported,'' he said. ''In this case, it really was under-reported.''
Residents of Bath whose Obama signs were stolen should call the police department at 330-666-3736 about picking up a sign.
Jim Carney can be reached at 330-996-3576 or jcarney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 09:27 PM, 10/17/2008
good they got caught.I hope they are punished, going onto someones property isn't the right thing too do, no matter what kind of prank this was..it seems that it was well thought out, because there were 140 signs taken. it didn't just happen once. the act was repeated over and over again. I just wonder where all of these obama signs were taken, or were they placed right in plain view, so parents and everyone involved knew what these knucklehead kids did? Doesn't matter if they are honor roll. They should still be dealed with for their behavior.
Posted 09:32 PM, 10/17/2008
Maybe this kid can harness his thieving skills into becoming the next Secretary of State.
Seminole, FL
Posted 09:36 PM, 10/17/2008
What an incredible waste of detective work....
I mean, really, theft of campaign signs vs. what goes on in South Akron?
Posted 09:49 PM, 10/17/2008
Obama supporter here - and I say: Bath residents - keep the tacky junk out of your front yard in the first place!
And, GOODNESS - does Ms. Webcam have ANYthing - ANYthing better to do with her time? I mean - if she would take the time she spent on her "detective" work and make some phone calls on behalf of Obama's campaign (how do I do this? http://my.barackobama.com/modules/votercontact/login_signup.php) she would do a LOT more good than competing with her neighbors in a silly little political sign war -- and reached plenty more people than the sign in her yard ... the same people who pass it EVERY single day have seen it!
Seriously people - get a freaking clue. "The kids are alright".
Posted 09:56 PM, 10/17/2008
I agree Jason...it is harmless fun. I understand stealing is wrong no doubt.
Anti-Politically Correct & Anti-GOP, OH
Posted 10:45 PM, 10/17/2008
Heck, at least they could have just relocated the signs to the home at 466 W. Streetsboro Steet in Hudson.
Posted 11:21 PM, 10/17/2008
Stealing one sign is a silly impulse, 10 signs is a prank but 140 signs is the kind of political dirty tricks we can't tolerate in these troubled political times. I'm not calling the young man a domestic terrorist but this kind of suppression of free speech and political activism has no place in honest society.
Perhaps the court could sentence the offender to gather abandoned campaign signs after the election, truly matching the punishment to the crime?
San Diego, CA
Posted 11:27 PM, 10/17/2008
Jason:They're more likely to be recruited by the Republican National Committee. That's not meant to be criticism of the kids, but for the conduct of the RNC.
Posted 12:23 AM, 10/18/2008
RNC works for me
Posted 12:28 AM, 10/18/2008
Lorcan, I hope they give out badges for fighting socialism and keeping America free from the slippery slopes of liberalism. Oh, I know what you did was wrong, but the greater picture means we will be paying homage to weak minded professors like Ayres, the unrepentant bombing master.
America, time to get down on your knees and pray for help. There are dangerous people all the way from Chicago to Kenya. Of course you will never read about that in the ABJ. They are to busy worrying about paper signs.
Posted 11:11 PM, 10/23/2008
I'm surprised the fat kid had enough in him to steal 140 signs.
Posted 11:12 PM, 10/23/2008
And Jason, the last time I checked, South Akron was outside the Bath Police jurisdiction. But I'm sure you could write them a letter and see if they could do anything about it. Idiot.
