California police arrested the man who stole the wallet of a firefighter battling the CZU Lightning Complex fire in Santa Cruz this month. The community helped police by giving numerous tips that led to the late Wednesday capture.
According to Fox News, Brian Johnson, 37, allegedly confessed to using the firefighter’s credit card to purchase items, including a $1,400 gift card and emptied the victim’s bank account after the wallet was stolen from the firefighter’s vehicle. Johnson was arrested after police searched his home. The clothing he wore in surveillance footage from inside the store, as well as some of the items he purchased, were found in the house.
“Here we have somebody who came from completely out of the area. Left their family, left their normal life to come here to Santa Cruz County to help our community get through the most catastrophic fire that we’ve seen in our history and then somebody has the audacity to steal from this man,” Sheriff Jim Hart said during a press conference.
The firefighter extended “his appreciation for all the support and the offers, but he said he’s good now and all he wants to do is get up on that fire lane and do his job.”
Johnson wrote a letter apologizing to the firefighter.