Police: Theft Victims Plant Successful Trap for Forgetful Thief

A forgetful thief, some decoy bricks and clever planning lead to the arrest of an 18-year-old who police say returned to the scene of the crime to retrieve the loot he’d accidentally left behind.

Charles E. Oberlin, 18, of the 27000 block of W Bayview Drive, Ingleside, was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff's officers after an unusual chain of events.

The investigation showed that Oberlin had committed multiple thefts to vehicles and homes near Route 134 and Robin Road in Ingleside. He then stole a pick-up truck and fled the area, according to the LCSO.

Oberlin drove away but "realized he had left proceeds from his earlier thefts wrapped in a blanket on the side of the road where he had stolen the truck. He returned in another vehicle to recover that stolen property," according to the LCSO report.

That's when he was surprised.

When Oberlin grabbed the blanket, the report states, "he was unaware the owners of the stolen truck had found the blanket first, removed the stolen property and filled the blanket with bricks."

The truck owners then caught Oberlin and held him until deputies arrived. He was arrested by Lake County Sheriff's deputies and charged with residential burglary, theft of motor vehicle and three counts of felony theft. Bond was set at $50,000 pending a court of Oct. 15.