Morro Bay Police arrested three people on various drug and theft charges after one of them brazenly stole the tip jar from a local takeout restaurant and took off to a waiting getaway car.
According to a new release, at 4:50 p.m. on Thursday, July 15, a woman allegedly stole the tip jar form Giovanni’s Fish Market, 1001 Front St., and ran to a waiting car down the block.
Photos of the woman and the getaway car were shared on social media the following day, police said in a news release by Cmdr. Amy Watkins. Two days later, on July 17, Cmdr. Watkins said they got a tip from someone who’d seen the post that the wanted car was parked outside the El Chorlito Restaurant in San Simeon.
“MBPD officers arrived on scene,” she said, “and contacted four subjects, which included the woman responsible for the theft.”
The alleged thief was with three others, two men and an adult woman, and police said the two men took off running down the beach but were captured after a short foot chase.
“During the foot pursuit,” Cmdr. Watkins said, “one of the suspects attempted to discard narcotics and paraphernalia into the ocean. All narcotics and paraphernalia were located and seized by officers. The tip jar stolen from Giovanni’s was located inside the suspect vehicle.”
That tip jar was actually a beer pitcher and while police did not say how much money was in it, Giovanni’s is one of the busiest restaurants on the Embarcadero and by nearly 5 p.m. it could certainly have had a lot of money in it, which would ordinarily be shared among the staff.
Three of the four suspects were arrested but the fourth was not, as Cmdr. Watkins said she is not suspected of committing any crimes.
Arrested were: Brittany Renee Doyle, 21 of Tulare charged with suspicion of theft, being under the influence of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia; Devon Louis Young, 23, suspicion of resisting arrest, being a parolee at large, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia; and, Brian Moscrop, 42, on suspicion of possession of drug paraphernalia, and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
All, including the woman not arrested, are from Tulare and according to police were visiting the Coast on holiday.
Police are asking for any information anyone might have on possible other crimes that this gang that couldn’t shoot straight might have committed here while on vacation. Call the MBPD at (805) 772- 6225 or Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP.
