Dumb criminal: Alleged thief tries to sell back stolen valuables

December 16, 2016

Two weeks after allegedly stealing a laptop and other goods valued at more than $14,000, a Paso Robles woman attempted to sell the property back to its owner for just $250, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

On Nov. 23, a thief smashed the window of a pickup truck parked on the 2200 block of El Camino Real in Atascadero and stole a backpack containing a laptop and other work related items. The truck belonged to a man who works for an out-of-area utility company.

On Dec. 6, Kerry Lynn Allison, 52, called the victim and said she was in possession of his backpack which she would sell back to him for $250, according to a sheriff’s office news release. The victim then contacted the sheriff’s office and reported the burglary, as well as the phone call he had received.

On Dec. 8, a detective posed as the victim and met Allison at the corner of Spring Street and 4th Street in Paso Robles. The detectives paid Allison for the backpack and then placed her under arrest.

Deputies booked Allison into the San Luis Obispo County Jail, where she remains with her bail set at $20,000. In addition to being charged with possession of stolen property, Allison also faces a count of violating her probation.