Suspects who allegedly stole scooter from Make-A-Wish arrested
SAN FRANCISCO-- A scooter stolen from San Francisco's Make-A-Wish office that was autographed by San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence has been found and two suspects have been arrested.
Make-A-Wish Foundation spokeswoman Jen Wilson says San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee came to the city's foundation office Tuesday morning to deliver the good news.
The San Francisco Police Department says 37-year-old Judd Janke and 26-year-old Nicholas Tiller were arrested in the case. It says a third suspect is being sought.
The department says the scooter was recovered Tuesday after beat officers recognized the two men in a surveillance video.
A foundation donor paid $40,000 at an auction for the scooter and dinner for four with Pence last year. The scooter was being stored at the office.
"It's confusing to think that would happen," said Pence in Milwaukee before the Giants-Brewers game on Monday. "There's a lot to celebrate with Make-A-Wish. All the kids that they've changed lives for. It's pretty uplifting. You never know what may come of something like that. In the grand scheme of things, it's going to work itself out."
The nonprofit organization last year arranged 400 wishes for San Francisco Bay Area children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Wilson said the burglars were caught on surveillance cameras as they also escaped with high-end backpacks, laptops, iPads and other items. The theft occurred Saturday night.
The announcement was just the cherry on top of his earlier news. The replacement iPads were being donated on behalf of the mayor's office and the San Francisco Giants, CBS San Francisco reported.
With property and car break-ins at an all-time high, Mayor Lee reiterated how the city could be safer.
"This is on the minds of a lot of residents and small businesses and so I want to do my best - both in the budget but also from the perspective of supporting the officers out there -- to do even more to prevent this from happening," said Lee.
The donated iPads are ones that were originally given to mayors from around the country when San Francisco hosted the U.S Conference of Mayors last June.
Some mayors returned the iPads and wanted Mayor Lee's office to give them to charities. The break-in and theft at the Make-A-Wish Foundation office unfortunately gave Lee a chance to fulfill that request.
Wilson said the thieves also destroyed a couple door handles to access the office, which they ransacked.
This was the second time the scooter had been stolen.
"There is a special place for those who steal from a charity," Wilson said.