Shoplifting, Larceny, Robbery, Theft grand theft?

[daclubkid]

hi:

I found a cell phone at a party on halloween night. The cell phone was in the floor of a bathroom and it was getting wet and people were stepping on it. I took the phone and went out side and I asked around if someone lost a phone. nobody said anything. I told the security guard and he told me that he didnt wanted the phone. I put it on my pocket and kept drinking. I forgot about it. the next day I found the cell phone on my blazer pocket and I turned it on. It had no info as the sim card was missing. I inserted my sim card in it and my info came up.I took out the sim card and turned the phone off. I went back to bed cause I had a very bad hangover.

When I woke up again in the afternoon and I checked my phone there was a message from some girl. screaming that I stole her phone, that she have my address, name and a lot of other info. I think she got that info when I inserted my sim card on her phone. She was very angry and saying that she was going to the police to report me. I was scared to call her back. So I went ahead and drove to the police station and turned the phone in. Then I sent her a message telling her that the phone I found was at the police station.

a day later she texted me telling me that she got her phone back but she is pressing charges and that a warrant for my arrest was out there for grand theft.

how can this be possible and what can i do?

Jose

 

[mightymoose]

It isn't true.
If you have any doubt just contact the police and ask about it.
You made an effort to find the owner when you found it, and you ultimately turned the phone in as found property. There is no evidence to say you stole it.
Don't worry about it. The police would come and ask you some questions long before a warrant was ever issued, and it certainly would not have happened that fast.
Forget about it.

 

[jharris352]

What do you do? Stay away from psycho women! Jeez, like Moose says, forgettaboutit! You aren't in trouble, no one will issue a warrant, she's a loon. Even if you snatched the phone out of her hand the value is most likely not enough to be grand theft. She probably got the term from playing grand theft auto. She sounds a bit thuggish to me! You did the right thing, just don't worry.

 

[CdwJava]

The police are not going to be able to get a warrant that quickly. She is full of hooey.

At most, I suspect they would submit for misappropriation of found property unless they could show that you snagged it from her person or from wherever she had it stowed. if they go with the story you just wrote, and there is nothing to contradict it, then it would seem the most that could be sought here would be the aforementioned misappropriation of property.

Try not to stress.


- Carl

 

[daclubkid]

thank you.

Thank you for your advice.

The lady accusing me of stealing her phone. Just sent me some text messsages saying that she is taking me to small claim court because her phone is not working right cause i broke it.

I am really tired of this lady sending me all this text messages. what can i do? Is there anyway I can counter sue her for the accusations of theft and the defamation? She apparently found out that I am a military veteran and is telling everyone that I stole her cell phone and broke it.

all this is not true.

 

[CdwJava]

The lady accusing me of stealing her phone. Just sent me some text messsages saying that she is taking me to small claim court because her phone is not working right cause i broke it.

Anyone can try to sue anyone else. If you are served with papers to appear in small claims court, you'll have to go. Until then, don't worry much about it.

I am really tired of this lady sending me all this text messages. what can i do?

You can ignore them and hope she gets tired of it ... or, you can tell her to stop or you are going to the police. if she continues,then you speak to the police about annoying and harassing electronic communications (a potential violation of PC 653m) and see if they can do anything about it.

Is there anyway I can counter sue her for the accusations of theft and the defamation? She apparently found out that I am a military veteran and is telling everyone that I stole her cell phone and broke it.

You can try, but her assumptions are reasonable under the circumstances. Unless you can articulate some pretty extensive damages, is it worth paying an attorney a few grand just to see?

- Carl

 

[mightymoose]

How did she get your number anyway? Is this someone you know?

She won't be able to prove that you stole the phone or that you damaged it. The way you tell the story, you were the good samaritan that found the phone, attempted to find the owner at the party, and ultimately brought it to the police. She has the burden of proving you did something wrong... don't sweat it.

If she is sending you messages, don't respond to them. The more you respond, the more messages she will send. Leave her alone and she will take her drama somewhere else.

As said above, until you are served papers then she is all talk.

 

[jharris352]

When faced with a kook, just be cool and everyone will see what a kook she is. Do you really believe that anyone that knows you will believe you stole and broke her phone? Let her blow off, she will eventually go away.