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Home > Blogs > Dayton area crime > Archives > 2008 > December > 15 > Entry
Wheelchair burglar hits local restaurant four times in a week
DAYTON - Franco Germano did a double take when he saw a one-legged man hopping through the hallway of his restaurant, Franco’s Ristorante Italian, at about 4 a.m. on Dec. 7.
Germano saw the wheelchair-bound man on surveillance tape again the next day. And the next day. And the day after that.
Owen RobinsonPolice said they believe Owen Robinson, 28, is the one-legged man who hopped out of his wheelchair and burglarized the restaurant four separate times in five days, starting on Dec. 7.
“I’ve never seen anything like it; he was just hopping,” said Germano on Monday, Dec. 15, at his restaurant at 824 E. Fifth St.
Robinson was wheeled into the Safety Building in handcuffs on Friday morning, Dec. 12, and confessed to the burglaries, according to police.
“There were two police reports, but the owner said he was burglarized four times last week,” Lt. Patrick Welsh said.
Robinson can be seen on the surveillance tape rolling up to the restaurant in the early morning and then hopping on one leg inside the restaurant.
“He is a smart guy because he knew it takes police about 10 minutes to get here once the alarm (sounded),” Germano said. “Every time he was in and out of here before they got here.”
Germano said he stopped calling police after filing two reports, one on Dec. 9 and the other Dec. 11. In the former instance, Robinson jimmied the lock and stole “a few hundred dollars,” out of an office, Germano said.
Robinson allegedly broke the glass of the same door on Dec. 11 and stole four to five bottles of wine valued at about $40 each, Germano said. Those are the only items believed to be missing from the restaurant, Lt. Larry Faulkner said.
Germano said he believes Robinson’s “lack of options” to transport items is the reason he didn’t take more from the restaurant.
Robinson faces felony charges of breaking and entering, along with a misdemeanor charge of drug abuse. A background check found he has a lengthy criminal dating back to 1999, which includes arrests for theft, drug possession and panhandling.
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