Mo. — A Springfield teen is accused of stealing his father’s comic book collection worth more than $17,000 and selling some of the comics to a local store
Eads Hinrichs, 18, is charged with stealing $750 or more, a Class D felony.
According to the probable cause statement, the father contacted Springfield police on April 3 after discovering part of his collection was missing.
He told police Hinrichs did not live at the home but was welcome there and had asked to stay overnight April 1.
When the father returned from work the following day, Hinrichs was gone and his bedroom appeared to have been searched, according to the statement. He noticed posters on the floor and soon discovered several comics were missing.
The father estimated the missing comics could be worth about $17,303 based on their condition and collector value. He estimated they might bring closer to $3,448 if sold to a comic book store.
After discovering the comics were gone, he contacted several Springfield-area stores that buy and sell them.
A manager at Vintage Stock on North Kansas Expressway later contacted him after finding several comics matching the description of those reported stolen, according to the statement.
Police said surveillance video and receipts showed comics were sold at the store. The manager estimated the comics brought into the store were worth about $1,000.
Investigators said Hinrichs allegedly went to the store with adults whose IDs could be used for the transactions because the business only buys items from people 18 and older. One woman told police Hinrichs asked her to help sell comics he claimed belonged to him and offered to pay her for helping.
She told investigators Hinrichs gave her $5 after the sale.
When an officer interviewed Hinrichs on April 22, the statement says he initially claimed the comics belonged to him and said he needed the money to help a friend with a vehicle.
Police said Hinrichs later claimed his father had given him the comics two or three years earlier. According to the statement, he could not identify the friend and later said the money was intended to help with a phone.
The officer also questioned why the comics were stored in his father’s bedroom rather than with Hinrichs’ other belongings.
When asked whether anyone else knew he had stolen the comic books, police said Hinrichs responded, “my dad.”
He’s due in court Sept. 15.
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