Sheriff: Man steals weapons from Good Samaritan to feed gambling habit
Posted: Jan 16, 2015 5:14 PM ESTUpdated: Jan 16, 2015 5:14 PM EST
By Amber Stegall
Jeremy Morales (Source: St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office)
ST. LANDRY PARISH, LA (WAFB) -
A homeless man was arrested for stealing firearms and compound bows worth more than $4,000 from a man who gave him a place to stay.
Deputies with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office arrested 26-year-old Jeremy Morales of Ville Platte, on charges of felony theft and theft of firearms.
The victim allowed Morales to stay at his home, because Morales had fallen on hard times and did not have a place to stay. The good Samaritan allowed Morales to stay even when he was away working.
The victim returned home from a week off-shore to find six firearms and two compound bows were missing. When the victim confronted Morales, he admitted he had a gambling addiction and pawned the items to get gambling money.
Deputies were called to the home and Morales was arrested. He is being held in the St. Landry Parish Jail on a $27,500 bond.
Sheriff Bobby J. Guidroz stated… "All of us have faith in the character of man and hope that when we extend trust to a stranger we will not be taken advantage of. Sometimes things go the wrong way and we have to deal with the results. In this case, the victim showed great kindness, then went on to demonstrate restraint when he discovered that his trust had been betrayed. He called us, rather than lashing out at Jeremy Morales. I have been advised that Morales' may have a gambling addiction.
That's no excuse to steal, but in our jail, he will have the opportunity to take advantage of our anti-addiction programs. Perhaps we can help him turn his life around. In the meantime, he's paying for his crime."
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