Fake hospital worker stole skin grafts, medical supplies, California cops say
A man donned blue scrubs and a surgical medical mask to gain access to restricted areas of a hospital and steal medical supplies, including skin grafts, worth more than $100,000, California deputies say.
Jason Brauner, 47, was charged with multiple counts, including grand theft, during his Friday, Aug. 8 arraignment, City News Service reported.
Brauner pleaded not guilty to all charges, the outlet reported.
Attorney information for Brauner was not immediately available.
His arrest comes after a month-long investigation, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in an Aug. 7 news release.
Deputies said they responded July 9 to a Rancho Mirage hospital after getting a report of stolen medical equipment.
As deputies investigated, they learned a man, identified as Brauner, dressed similarly to hospital staff, allowing him to gain access to restricted areas of the facility, the sheriff’s office said.
On three separate occasions between June and July, “Brauner stole more than $100,000 worth of surgical equipment and skin grafts,” deputies said.
In each of those incidents, deputies said he wore “blue scrubs and a surgical mask to blend in with hospital personnel and avoid detection.”
In an affidavit obtained by the Press Enterprise, a deputy noted that July surveillance images show a man, identified as Brauner, roaming “the area of the operating room where the boxes of skin grafts were stored.”
“It appeared that the subject was waiting for employees to open the security doors (which only open through scanning passes) and sneak through the facility to gain access to the operating room,” the affidavit says, the newspaper reported.
Brauner carried a trash bag, which he placed in his car’s trunk as he left, the affidavit says, the newspaper reported.
Further investigation identified Brauner as a suspect in similar thefts at hospitals in Loma Linda and Newport Beach, deputies said, adding that agencies in those jurisdictions are working to file charges against Brauner.
On Wednesday, Aug. 6, a San Diego County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted Brauner driving toward San Diego, pulled him over and detained him, Riverside County deputies said.
Upon searching his car, deputies found “stolen medical equipment and stolen hospital apparel,” the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said they served a search warrant at Brauner’s home in San Jacinto and found additional stolen medical supplies worth between $10,000 and $25,000.
Brauner was arrested and booked into jail, deputies said.
In addition to grand theft, Brauner is also facing charges of burglary, receiving stolen property and being a prior-strike felon, City News Service reported.
Brauner, who is being held on $100,000 bail, is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 15, jail records show.
An investigation is ongoing, deputies said, adding that there may be additional victims.
Rancho Mirage is about a 120-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.
