Man charged with stealing laptop

Gilbert Fransico Rivera, 30, of 135 E. High St., Coaldale, has been charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Coaldale Police filed the charges after identifying Rivera as the person who took his neighbor's laptop computer on March 13.

The victim was hurrying to work that day and didn't realize he had dropped his Asus laptop computer as he left his home. When he returned to his home and couldn't find the laptop, he checked the security camera footage. The camera recorded Rivera picking up the laptop and walking off with it.

The victim went to speak with Rivera and the meeting turned into an argument. Police responded to the disturbance and learned of the theft.

Rivera later admitted picking up the laptop from the sidewalk in front of the vian charged ctim's home. Since he didn't know who it belonged to, he couldn't return it. He and his girlfriend did agree that if someone came looking for it, they would return it.

He then admitted deleting the owner's information from the computer and installing programs of his choosing, saying he knew it was wrong to take the laptop, but didn't realize he could be arrested for his actions.