An IU student was issued a citation by police Wednesday after returning a stolen neon Juul sign from a Marathon gas station.
Bloomington Police Department officers were called on Sept. 29 to 601 E. 10th St. after a manager at Marathon said a man had stolen a sign valued at $6,000, Sgt. Dana Cole said. The suspect entered the store around 4:25 p.m., walked around for about a minute and then grabbed the sign, an advertisement for Juul, from the window, police said.
Officers used the store’s security footage to get an image of the suspect. A second video camera also showed the silver Toyota Camry the suspect rode away in, as well as its license plate. The manager chased the suspect outside and told police there were multiple people in the car, Cole said.
After using social media and the license plate number to track down a suspect, a BPD detective contacted Bryan McCaffrey, 19, about his involvement in the theft.
McCaffrey, a California native, refused to speak with the detective Oct. 24, and he told officers they had to contact his lawyer for more information, Cole said.
McCaffrey’s lawyer was contacted the same day, telling officers that McCaffrey had loaned his car to pledges of his fraternity that day and didn’t remember exactly who had taken it. According to his Instagram profile, McCaffrey is a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at IU.
Later that day, McCaffrey met with officers at the same Marathon, and brought the sign with him. He returned the sign to the store, but Cole said he didn’t want to talk to officers.
Police issued McCaffrey a citation for his involvement in the theft, and he is facing a charge of criminal conversion.
