Inset: Ryan Hagenbuch (Sarasota County Jail). Background: Nokomis Inn and Suites near Sarasota, Florida (Google Maps).
A Florida firefighter allegedly stole $200 while responding to a medical call in which an 80-year-old man was pronounced dead in a hotel room.
Ryan Hagenbuch, 44, stands accused of grand theft. According to a probable cause affidavit, the incident in question happened around 6:30 p.m. March 9 at the Nokomis Inn and Suites near Sarasota. Hagenbuch, a 15-year veteran of the Sarasota County Fire Department, responded with a rookie firefighter to a medical call. The victim was pronounced dead.
After cops left the room, the rookie said Hagenbuch told him go into the victim’s wallet and “take a little bit of lunch money,” per the affidavit. When the rookie refused, Hagenbuch allegedly told him to turn his back, went into the man’s wallet, pulled out two $100 bills and slipped them into his pocket.
“He is dead, nobody is going to know,” Hagenbuch allegedly said.
When Hagenbuch asked his fellow firefighter if he thought less of him because he stole the money, he further tried to explain himself.
“I’m not a scumbag,” he allegedly said. “I don’t do scummy s—.”
But then Hagenbuch contradicted himself.
“Everybody has scummy things that they do. A little bit of lunch money from a dead guy is not bad. It’s not going to hurt somebody or cause damage,” he said, according to the affidavit.
