 |
City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
|
NEWS ADVISORY
|
| SUBJECT: Ruined Prom Made Right
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
7/26/2005 12:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Police Media Relations (206) 684-5520
|
Ruined Prom Made Right
On May 21st, four Tahoma High School students attended the Tahoma Junior Prom at the Pacific Science Center Pavilion, in downtown Seattle. At around 9:50 PM, things took an unfortunate turn of events when a man smashed into the Lincoln Navigator that they had driven to the Prom. Stolen property included four wallets with cash, two cameras and two cell phones. Worst of all, $100 of the stolen cash had been earmarked for the students’ prom pictures.
Fortunately, two witnesses observed the crime, and phoned 911. Seattle Police responded and arrested the suspect in the nearby 200 block of Cedar Street. All of the victim’s property, with the exception of $200 cash, was recovered. The students were called out of the prom, and participated in the investigation by verifying their recovered property and the damage to their car. By the time they returned, they did not have sufficient money for Prom pictures. Their Prom was ruined.
Detective Ron Rispoli, a 34 year veteran, was later assigned to the case. He was not satisfied that the students were obligated to sit through a lesson in criminal justice in lieu of attending their once in a lifetime event. Detective Rispoli, and his supervisor, Sergeant Steve Martin, developed a game plan.
Rispoli and Martin contacted The Seattle Mariners, and explained what had happened. The Seattle Mariners graciously offered the students four Commissioner’s Seats tickets, right behind the Mariners dugout. These tickets are not available for sale to the general public. Furthermore, Detective Rispoli and Sergeant Martin both opened their wallets for this cause. Courtesy of Rispoli and Martin, the students will be presented with $100 dollars for dinner at Safeco Field’s ‘Hit it Here Café’, at a window seat table overlooking the field. Twenty dollars will be provided for parking. Two hundred dollars will be presented to the victim whose money was gone when her wallet was recovered. Lastly, to make up for the lack of prom pictures, something that can never be replaced, the students will be presented with an opportunity to be photographed with the Mariner Moose.
The tickets and cash will be presented to the students at 2 PM today at the Seattle Police East Precinct, at 1519 12th Avenue.
“I am gratified by the opportunity to reach out and do something for these young adults. Their special night was ruined. This just seemed the right thing to do,” said Detective Ron Risopoli.
###
|
