An octogenarian was slated to appear in court January 22 on charges of stealing more than 3,100 items from the Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks libraries in California. Ernest Heyneman, 84, of Simi Valley, is charged with allegedly stealing some $26,000 worth of materials from the two libraries.
According to investigators, Heyneman would check out materials, remove their security strips at his home, and then return them to the library. After the items were reshelved, he would take the desensitized materials, which went undetected by sensors. Library officials discovered the scheme when Heyneman turned out to have been the last person to borrow a large number of missing books. Officials then examined his most recent returns and found their security strips missing.
Prosecutors say they won’t ask for jail time because of Heyneman’s age and clean record. Instead they may request his banishment from all county libraries.
Thousand Oaks Library Services Director Steve Brodgen told the Associated Press January 14 that staff felt betrayed “to know he was doing this” when Heyneman was “so friendly and kind to people there.”
Posted January 21, 2002.