cops take 6th grader's loot

[yandosan]

6th Grader finds big jewelry cache in Oakland.
I wonder about the legality of this.
WHatever happened to "finders keepers?"

"...one 11-year-old girl pulling bags of trash from the water seemed to get a cosmic reward when she spotted two bags sticking out of the lake that ended up being filled with over 100 pieces of antique jewelry, foreign coins, rings, bracelets, and even military medals, the Associated Press reports."




huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/california-student-treasure-lake-trash-school_n_1392237.html

“As students might have expected, police confiscated the items in order to do an investigation and hopefully return them to their rightful owners.”

 

[Arisaka]

6th Grader finds big jewelry cache in Oakland.
I wonder about the legality of this.
WHatever happened to "finders keepers?"


huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/california-student-treasure-lake-trash-school_n_1392237.html

“As students might have expected, police confiscated the items in order to do an investigation and hopefully return them to their rightful owners.”

Ridiculous hopefully they can't find them.

 

[forfun]

The stuff is probably stolen goods. That is why the Police took it. Not very likely it is lost jewelry. There is probably a long list of burglary victims that will be wanting their stuff back.

 

[Arisaka]

The stuff is probably stolen goods. That is why the Police took it. Not very likely it is lost jewelry. There is probably a long list of burglary victims that will be wanting their stuff back.

Well that's true.

 

[ATProGuy]

Wonder how that would have sounded ringing my ear off through my detector? Guess hopefully they find some of the original owners if indeed they can identify the owners. If not I hope the kid gets everything back. I need some luck like that though lol

 

[basscop]

Be advised as a finder they can make a claim to these items. after I believe 60 to 90 days if they have not found the owners or no one claims the items the finder has the right to have them by law.

 

[forfun]

I remember a big recovery years ago from some burglars the Police busted. The Police held a special event to allow people who had been robbed to get their things back. They made them prove ownership. I imagine some will be claimed and some will go to the finder after the legal waiting period, provided it doesn't get wrapped up in a criminal case.

 

[Silversmith45]

I always try to return anything of value to who ever lost it if I can. I know that it it was mine, I would want it back. It wouldn't have as meaning to someone else and people don't lose large amounts of items like that by accident. Perhaps some of the owners will chip in and give the kids a reward.

 

[Joves]

I always try to return anything of value to who ever lost it if I can. I know that it it was mine, I would want it back. It wouldn't have as meaning to someone else and people don't lose large amounts of items like that by accident. Perhaps some of the owners will chip in and give the kids a reward.

Exactly! I also would hope that the owners would cough up some kind of reward as well. The kid may actually get some of it after whatever the local waiting period is.

 

[vanstheman3]

It isn't simple

There are many variables in this story! If the stuff is Lost or Stolen the rightful owners still have a claim to it! If Stolen it is evidence, and has to be Used in court if a Thief is caught! If it just goes unclaimed the finder probably gets ownership after a set period of time? It does happen but almost any owner that gets something like that back will provide a reward! Good Luck and Happy Hunting....