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Rugby Police: Thefts linked

By Staff | Jul 30, 2010

The Rugby Police Department is involved in a multi-jurisdiction criminal investigating centered on a series of thefts occurring in nursing homes, senior living centers and hospitals in the northeastern part of the state, including Rugby.

Three men are already in custody in connection with the thefts and law enforcement are looking for another they believe resides in the Belcourt area.

Since late spring a handful of thefts have been reported locally in which checks, credit cards and driver’s licenses have been taken from purses and wallets left out at residences at the Haaland Estates, according to Luis Coca, police chief.

The offenders are then forging the checks and using the credit cards to purchase items which can be sold for cash.

These individuals are targeting these facilities where they can gain access without drawing attention to themselves by staff and residents, Coca said. Similar thefts have been reported in care centers in Devils Lake and Cando.

Coca said if any suspicious individuals are seen around Rugby’s nursing care and assisted living facilities, residents and staff are advised to contact local law enforcement.

Marilyn Goldade, administrator of the Haaland Estates, said they continue to try working with local law enforcement to identify the details of the theft. It’s the facility’s goal to assure the security of tenants at the assisted living center.