By Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
A morning break-in at Southern Rail last week led to a strange sequence of events after one suspect was discovered not far away with a basket full of steaks, ribs and wine and another attempted to buy a power cord for a stolen laptop at the PTA Thrift Shop but was convinced to call the owner instead.
Carrboro police responded to a call at Weaver Street Market after Carr Mill security guard James Latta confronted a man for urinating in public behind the store.
According to a Carrboro police report the man, Andres Indacochea, threatened to beat Latta and returned to a bench on the Weaver Street lawn where Latta observed a black bag with several bottles of wine and a white ice bucket filled with packages of meat.
Officer Brad Ward inspected the collection of goods, which also included a children’s menu from Southern Rail, and questioned Indacochea, who was bleeding from a cut on his right hand. After searching Indacochea, Ward found a Visa credit card and a bottle of Clonazpem. Investigators searching the area around Southern Rail found several items behind the restaurant, including a bottle of Château Peyraud — the same vintage in Indacochea’s bag.
Officer Ward arrested Indacochea for possession of stolen goods, possession of a Schedule IV substance, breaking and entering and larceny because he had “an unexplained fresh cut on his hand, someone else’s credit card in his pocket whose name he did not know and was found within 400 feet of the restaurant with the stolen property,†according to the report.
Indacochea was taken before a magistrate at the Chapel Hill Police department, but refused to be fingerprinted and photographed. He was given a $50,000 bond and was ordered to submit to fingerprinting and photographs before he could be released. He also resisted attempts to transport him to the Orange County jail, the report said.
While investigators Anthony Westbrook and Chris Atack looked over extensive damage inside the restaurant and dusted for prints, a call came in at 11:40 a.m. that a subject was at the PTA Thrift Shop with a laptop from Southern Rail.
According to the report, David Tuttle, a clerk at the store, had been asked about a power cord for a Fujitsu laptop by Carlton Richardson, who said he bought the laptop on the street. After noticing a number inside the laptop, Tuttle persuaded Richardson to call the owner.
According to the report, when police arrived at the thrift shop, Richardson told them he bought the laptop for $18 from a man matching Indacochea’s description and knew it was stolen. After Richardson gave permission to look in the trunk of his car for his identification, investigators found several other items they believed came from the restaurant.
When Southern Rail owner Mike Benson arrived to identify the stolen laptop, he also identified a bottle of Chianti, a black Elon University computer bag and an XM radio receiver and docking station. Richardson was arrested for possession of stolen property and told officers on the ride to the magistrate’s office that “That was a stupid thing . . . I did this to myself . . . being greedy, yup being greedy,†the report said.
Richardson was later released on a written promise to appear.
Police are also looking for a black male seen talking to Indacochea prior to the police arrival.
Benson lauded Tuttle’s handling of the situation at the thrift shop and praised the security guards at Carr Mill for quickly putting together what was going on.
“James [Latta] was awesome,†he said.
He also said he was impressed with the thoroughness and “bedside manner†of Carrboro police. “They fingerprinted and photographed everywhere and they were very nice about things. They said ‘sorry about this, we know you’re a new business and this must be really awful.’â€
Benson said while he tried to make sure the place was secure, the thieves managed to pry apart some scrollwork and gain entry. The alarm system did not function as intended, he said, and allowed them about 30 minutes during which they smashed bottles and destroyed the restaurant stereo system and point of sale cash register system, ruining several expensive knives they used to pry open the cash registers.
While it was good to see some of the stolen items returned, he said the senseless destruction inside the restaurant took out between $10,000 and $14,000 worth of goods and equipment.
Benson said a crew is putting in rebar to reinforce areas where the thieves gained entry.