High bid on stolen goods

By Jim Haley

Herald Writer

If you buy things on the Internet, here’s a warning for you.

A Seattle police officer last week spotted a baseball pitching machine on the popular eBay Internet auction site and requested a serial number and other information from the seller, Mountlake Terrace police reported Tuesday.

He checked out the number with the manufacturer and found that the machine had been sold to Mountlake Terrace High School.

The officer called the school and learned that a pitching machine had been stolen in an burglary. He then called the local police, Mountlake Terrace Sgt. Craig McCaul said.

The Seattle officer turned out to be the high bidder on the $1,500 machine. He bid $1,200 and arranged to pay for the item and pick it up Friday at a home near Lynnwood.

He went accompanied by Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies and Mountlake Terrace officers, McCaul said.

Police arrested three Lynnwood-area youths, all 15, for investigation of possessing stolen property. They were released into the custody of their parents, McCaul said. The department is investigating whether any of the three were involved in the burglary.

The incident serves as a reminder about used items you purchase on the Internet, McCaul said.

"There’s always the potential to buy stolen property, and six months down the road you could wind up without that piece of equipment — and potentially face charges for possessing stolen property," McCaul said.

He advised Internet buyers to demand a receipt showing when and where the item was bought.

"If you’re buying something like that, ask the seller to provide proof of ownership, and you’ll be more protected," McCaul said.

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