Man posing as hospital worker swipes skin grafts, valuable medical equipment, officials say

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2 days ago

A Riverside County man was arrested for allegedly posing as a hospital worker and stealing more than $100,000 worth of medical equipment, according to authorities.
Around 3:30 p.m. on July 9, deputies from the Riverside County Sheriff's Office responded to a hospital in the 35000 block of Bob Hope Drive to a report of medical equipment theft, according to a news release.
Authorities say the suspect allegedly dressed as a hospital employee — wearing blue scrubs and surgical mask — and stole more than $100,000 worth of surgical equipment and skin grafts during three separate incidents in June and July, according to the news release.
On Aug. 6, 47-year-old San Jacinto resident Jason Brauner was stopped by deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office in Del Mar, according to the release. When deputies searched his vehicle, they allegedly found stolen medical equipment and hospital apparel.
Authorities also served a search warrant at Brauner's residence on Potomac Circle in San Jacinto and allegedly recovered additional stolen medical supplies worth between $10,000 and $25,000.
Brauner was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of grand theft, commercial burglary and possession of stolen property, according to the release.
Deputies also discovered that hospitals in Newport Beach and Loma Linda were targeted in similar thefts. Brauner has been identified as a suspect in those incidents.
Authorities plan to file additional charges against Brauner in relation to those incidents and are investigating whether other hospitals may have been targeted as well, according to the release.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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