Marissa Castelli's skates and costumes were stolen (and returned)

[missing]

Here is her tweet about it:

Marissa Castelli‏ @MarissaCastelli

After a fun day hanging in San Francisco, we stopped for a quick bite in Japantown before heading to the airport. A thief smashed the window to our rental car took a couple bags, one of those bags contained my skates and my costumes. I am heartbroken.

 

[Sylvia]

Link to her tweet (replies from her fellow skaters & fans below): https://twitter.com/MarissaCastelli/status/950612460452511744

 

[Yazmeen]

Link to her tweet (replies from her fellow skaters & fans below): https://twitter.com/MarissaCastelli/status/950612460452511744

It might help to get out photos of herself in those costumes - I'm sure the host club and city would be happy to get them around and at least maybe the dresses could be recovered.

 

[LilJen]

SO awful. Hopefully the person who got them realizes they could NEVER get away with selling them--skates only fit the person for whom they were made, and at least her competition dresses will be immediately recognizable.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Poor Marissa, it feels awful and personal to be robbed, especially of things that carry so much emotional attachment. My worry is that the thief pocketed the valuables and tossed the rest in the nearest dumpster.

 

[Sylvia]

Mervin Tran tweeted this "open letter to a thief in Japantown, San Francisco, the Smasher of windows, Burglar of vehicles": https://twitter.com/skate_moivo/status/950748834715570176

 

[Carolla5501]

Poor girl......

Folks this is lesson one of traveling. DO NOT leave valuables where they can be seen. If the rental car agency tries to "upgrade" you to an SUV or minivan just say NO! (I have had very few SUVs where they bothered to include the "cover" for luggage and I can't tell you how many coworkers I know who have had bags stolen from rental SUVs using this same "smash and grab"!)

 

[skatesindreams]

How terrible!

 

[tylersf]

They should stick around SF for another week. I'm willing to bet that her costume will appear in a drag show at AsiaSF.

 

[Jayar]

They should stick around SF for another week. I'm willing to bet that her costume will appear in a drag show at AsiaSF.

That would have to be one tiny drag queen.

 

[Firedancer]

That’s terrible! So sad for her!

 

[crzesk8dad]

Mervyn lost two ukuleles as part of this theft, one had been given to him as a gift from my son Sean.

San Francisco has a high rate of auto "smash and grab", more than most US cities. Unfortunate.

Any connection to the high rate of homeless in the City?

 

[Coco]

Where are the homeless going to hide stuff they steal?

 

[Debbie S]

Where are the homeless going to hide stuff they steal?

I would assume that the homeless or anyone stealing would sell/pawn the stuff they could and toss the rest. My guess is the skates and costumes were tossed; hopefully, they'll be found intact in a dumpster in the area. The ukuleles, though, may be in a pawn shop somewhere. I know in my area, pawn shops have to wait 30 days before reselling anything, to give time for theft reports to be circulated. Hopefully, the stolen items can be located.

(((Marissa and Mervin)))

 

[genevieve]

Why would anyone assume this was the work of the homeless? Homeless does not mean criminal.

How awful for both Marissa and Mervin. Theft of such personal items, especially the skates which are extremely valuable to Marissa, but useless to anyone else, is extremely upsetting. I hope the items (including the ukeleles) can be found.

 

[AxelAnnie]

SO awful. Hopefully the person who got them realizes they could NEVER get away with selling them--skates only fit the person for whom they were made, and at least her competition dresses will be immediately recognizable.

I doubt if the person cares. I suspect they will be dumped, along with anything else that cannot be easily fenced.

 

[Vash01]

Poor Merissa!

 

[crzesk8dad]

Why would anyone assume this was the work of the homeless? Homeless does not mean criminal.

How awful for both Marissa and Mervin. Theft of such personal items, especially the skates which are extremely valuable to Marissa, but useless to anyone else, is extremely upsetting. I hope the items (including the ukeleles) can be found.

Genevieve, I'm not saying it WAS done by a homeless person. What I am saying is that San Francisco is extremely tolerant to the homeless, even embracing them. Yet, crimes such as these, along with stolen bicycles are high in the City.

All cities deal with both homelessness and crime. It is a shame that a city as beautiful and wonderful as San Francisco is getting more than their fair share. I lived in the Bay Area for five years and have a fondness for it. I find this problem to be saddening.

And yes, I believe the two have a relationship.

 

[Carolla5501]

Genevieve, I'm not saying it WAS done by a homeless person. What I am saying is that San Francisco is extremely tolerant to the homeless, even embracing them. Yet, crimes such as these, along with stolen bicycles are high in the City.

All cities deal with both homelessness and crime. It is a shame that a city as beautiful and wonderful as San Francisco is getting more than their fair share. I lived in the Bay Area for five years and have a fondness for it. I find this problem to be saddening.

And yes, I believe the two have a relationship.

My old boss lived in the suburbs in a very high priced neighborhood. He left his laptop on the back seat of his car parked in his driveway....

Smash and grab!

Personally, if I'm a thief I am heading to the good parts of town where the good stuff is!

The real relationship is "left where it can be seen = gone"

 

[crzesk8dad]

My old boss lived in the suburbs in a very high priced neighborhood. He left his laptop on the back seat of his car parked in his driveway....

Smash and grab!

Personally, if I'm a thief I am heading to the good parts of town where the good stuff is!

The real relationship is "left where it can be seen = gone"

Point well taken, my car was broken into, nothing taken because I don't leave things in sight or in my car. We live in what may be considered by some as an "effluent" area. (Although I am far from being effluent).

The assumed culprit was found days later, as similar crimes had occurred in our area. And while our town has a median income in the $90k range, guess what? He was a homeless person, living in our nature preserve area, nearby.

As I said earlier, all cities deal with it.

Very sad, sad to the victims and sad for the homeless. Just my viewpoint..

 

[AxelAnnie]

Genevieve, I'm not saying it WAS done by a homeless person. What I am saying is that San Francisco is extremely tolerant to the homeless, even embracing them. Yet, crimes such as these, along with stolen bicycles are high in the City.

All cities deal with both homelessness and crime. It is a shame that a city as beautiful and wonderful as San Francisco is getting more than their fair share. I lived in the Bay Area for five years and have a fondness for it. I find this problem to be saddening.

And yes, I believe the two have a relationship.

My friend has a very expensive home in a very expensive area of San Francisco. There is a homeless person across the street. They leave NOTHING in their car.

San Francisco used to be a beautiful city. It no longer is. Sadly

 

[BittyBug]

We live in what may be considered by some as an "effluent" area.

I hope not.....

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/effluent?s=t

I would suspect that the perp was much more likely a drug addict than a homeless person (although he or she could have been both).

Homelessness is an extremely complex situation that often does not conform to stereotypical assumptions about its victims, but one thing I think is certain - it is shameful that in a country with as much wealth as the United States we have people living on the streets, often with untreated mental illness.

 

[insideedgeua]

It is shameful that in a country with as much wealth as the United States we have people living on the streets, often with untreated mental illness.

Sadly this is a situation in many countries.

The tie in between homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction is high.

I do find the homeless situation to be more obvious in the USA though. It’s very sad.

 

[BittyBug]

The tie in between homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction is high.

Yes, because many people with mental illness, lacking proper medical care, self-medicate with illegal drugs.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Mervin Tran tweeted this "open letter to a thief in Japantown, San Francisco, the Smasher of windows, Burglar of vehicles": https://twitter.com/skate_moivo/status/950748834715570176

That's too soft... i have better ideas....

The tie in between homelessness, mental illness and drug addiction is high.

That's for sociologists to figure out. We all have difficulties, suffer, struggle, overcome, and go without.... at one or another points in our lives. It's not an excuse to steal and damage private property. I am sick of all "excuse makers" for bad behavior, law breaking which affects others (vs. one's own health and money), and bleeding-heart policies which prevent punishment of these creeps.

 

[Deleted member 221]

Homelessness is an extremely complex situation that often does not conform to stereotypical assumptions about its victims, but one thing I think is certain - it is shameful that in a country with as much wealth as the United States we have people living on the streets, often with untreated mental illness.

Except in San Francisco, far too many people think that homelessness is a valid choice that one should respect. The last time I was there, I witnessed a large demonstration advocating for the rights of homeless people to “choose” to live on the streets.

The Bay Area is so far left that it crosses over to the right — how anyone can not acknowledge homelessness as a social problem is beyond me. I think crzesk8dad’s comments are completely justified given the insane attitudes many San Franciscans hold about homelessness. I’m with AxelAnnie — once a great city, now a massively overpriced dump.

 

[Rafter]

I would assume that the homeless or anyone stealing would sell/pawn the stuff they could and toss the rest. My guess is the skates and costumes were tossed; hopefully, they'll be found intact in a dumpster in the area. The ukuleles, though, may be in a pawn shop somewhere. I know in my area, pawn shops have to wait 30 days before reselling anything, to give time for theft reports to be circulated. Hopefully, the stolen items can be located.

(((Marissa and Mervin)))

I’ve seen figure skates posted on Kijiji/Craigslist. They should look there.

 

[skategal]

Yes, because many people with mental illness, lacking proper medical care, self-medicate with illegal drugs.

Yes and the reverse can happen too. Drug addiction can bring on mental illnesses.

Very common for a person to suffer from both.

Poor Marissa and Mervin. So upsetting being robbed.

 

[insideedgeua]

It's not an excuse to steal and damage private property. I am sick of all "excuse makers" for bad behavior, law breaking which affects others (vs. one's own health and money), and bleeding-heart policies which prevent punishment of these creeps.

I wasn’t excusing this crime in any way. My post was quoting, and in reply to it being shameful that there is such a homeless problem in the USA.

It is shameful that so many people are living on the streets with untreated mental illness in such a wealthy country. This in no way excused the crime.

 

[skatfan]

I wasn’t excusing this crime in any way. My post was quoting, and in reply to it being shameful that there is such a homeless problem in the USA.

It is shameful that so many people are living on the streets with untreated mental illness in such a wealthy country. This in no way excused the crime.

I feel for Marisa - her costumes are stunning on her, and she could probably have a part-time design business.

Yes, we in California have Ronald Reagan to thank for dumping mentally ill people into communities without enough services and homes. The Bay Area (including San Jose, where I live and work) is a tough place to do homeless ministry. Housing costs are so sky-high that finding a SRO room is really expensive. Many of the hardcore homeless folks have multiple diagnoses and need lots of services. In the congregation I serve, our part-time janitor was homeless for a few months until the church loaned her money for a camper, and one member of our communities spends his days and nights outside the church on a corner right across from city hall with mental issues. Neither steal or attack folks.