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Suffolk neighbors believe a man is stealing from Vietnam vets

Posted at 5:52 PM, Apr 04, 2014
and last updated 2014-04-04 17:52:08-04

Neighbors in the Kilby Shores area of Suffolk say a man has been spotted stealing donation bags meant for Vietnam veterans right off their property.

"He doesn't want to come up here. I got something inside that will keep him here until police get here," says Dalton Russell who also donates to Vietnam Veterans of America.

On Thursday, police say they got a call about an unknown man in a black SUV taking charity donations without permission.

"This guy or guys are coming by picking it up driving their own vehicles and normally they're in a marked vehicle," says Russell.

The woman who reported it didn’t want to be identified, but tells NewsChannel 3 she became suspicious when saw the man tossing several bags into the trunk of that unmarked SUV.

She says she approached the man who couldn’t provide her with any identification or give her a receipt for her donations.

Seeing his trunk full of bags clearly marked for the Vietnam Veterans of America organization not only angers her, it also angers Russell - a military vet himself.

"I served in Korea and Vietnam and we got those veterans plus younger veterans right now from Iraq and Afghanistan that are homeless. And, these organizations are helping them at the same time. So, I hope someone will take necessary action to apprehend this individual," Russell says.

The woman who made the report says she put the donation bags out near the curb. Police tell NewsChannel 3 if left on the curb, unfortunately those bags become “free game.” However, if the items are on private property such as a porch, it would be considered theft. The woman says another neighbor nearby did actually have bags stolen right off her porch, but that woman still hasn’t reported it to police.

Police say they have no additional information regarding the one reported incident, but they ask anyone with more information to call the Crime Line 1-888-Lock-U-Up.