Scoreboard Controller Returned In Vacaville After Thief Caught Red Handed
SOLANO COUNTY (CBS13) — Deputies returned a stolen scoreboard controller to the Vacaville National Little League after busting the thief as he was trying to sell other stolen items.
Solano County deputies said it's extremely rare to recover something like this and it's all thanks to quick thinking by detectives.
The little league thought they would never get the controller back. It was stolen earlier this month making a brand new scoreboard useless right in the middle of a major tournament.
"There were some anxious moments there it was like uh oh," said Jeff Armstrong, Vacaville National Little League Vice President.
The Vacaville National Little league fundraised for years to get the scoreboard. When the controller for it was stolen earlier this month, they were back to square one — or so they thought. Several weeks later, the controller is back home.
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"We figured it was one of those things where someone was going to open it up, see what it is and throw it in the garbage can. We thought there was no way we were getting it back," Armstrong said.
The man accused of stealing the controller, Joe Mosely, was the one who led police right to it. Solano County Deputies said it all started when Mosely posted stolen tools for sale on a website called Offer Up. Deputies responded to the ad and set up a meeting at the Walmart off Alamo Drive in Vacaville. When the suspect realized the police were there and not a potential buyer, he got in his car and sped off.
"A little short vehicle pursuit...he almost caused a couple of collisions and he could have really hurt somebody but we were able to safely get him into custody right in front of his house," said Cully Pratt, a Solano County Sheriffs Deputy.
That's when deputies caught a glimpse of other things Mosely had stolen, including the scoreboard controller and a motorcycle worth $5,500 Vacaville Police recently reported as stolen.
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"You're stealing from kids, you're stealing from the community, especially in Vacaville, our community doesn't put up with crime that that," said Amber Williams, a Vacaville police officer.
When the scoreboard controller first went missing, the community came together and raised money so the little league could buy a new one. Now, the little league plans to invest some of that money in better security.
