A San Francisco man is accused of breaking into an FBI vehicle and stealing thousands of dollars worth of government equipment, including stun grenades and a bulletproof vest, which he later allegedly traded for drugs.
Gregory Acosta Alvarez was indicted in federal court on August 9 on charges of theft of government property.
According to court documents, on the morning of August 7, an FBI special agent discovered that the government-provided Ford 150 truck he had parked on Natoma Street in San Francisco had been broken into. More than a dozen pieces of equipment were missing from the truck, including several saws and surveillance devices, a flashlight set, a gas pistol, a bulletproof camouflage vest and ballistic plates with FBI markings, a box of flash grenades and, just to be safe, a defibrillator.
A review of surveillance footage showed Acosta Alvarez riding a bicycle past the truck at about 12:30 a.m. on August 7, then dismounting to commit the burglary. Additional surveillance footage showed Acosta Alvarez then riding away with the stolen goods to a hotel less than a quarter mile away.
On the afternoon of August 7, San Francisco Police Department officers were at the hotel and spoke with the manager. When Acosta Alvarez entered the lobby, he was immediately arrested.
Argument about food: Woman arrested at Applebee’s in Indiana after argument over ‘All You Can Eat’ offer: Police
Equipment worth several thousand dollars exchanged for drugs worth $20
A search of his room turned up the bicycle seen on surveillance footage of the break-in, as well as several of the stolen items, including 23 flash grenades and the defibrillator. However, the gas gun and bulletproof vest, valued at about $1,500, were still missing. When questioned, Acosta Alvarez admitted to officers that he had traded these items to someone earlier in the day in exchange for $20 worth of crystal meth.
Acosta Alvarez is currently being held without bail in the San Francisco County Jail on charges of burglary, grand theft, possession of stolen property and drug possession.
Max Hauptman is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]
