KUTV 2 – by Heidi Hatch(KUTV) Case closed. Nearly 40 years after a Salt Lake City teen filed a police report, the now 53-year-old gets the closure he never expected.
Richard Pittenger was victim to a smash grab back in 1977. He was 16 at the time and on a date and parked his truck on 1700 South and State Street. When he came outside his window was busted and his 20-gauge Wingmaster shotgun was gone.
Luckily his father, who had purchased the gun, had the serial number. The number was given to police when the official crime report was filed. The number and the file collected dust for nearly 40 years. Last week the so called “cold case” was opened with a call from an Oregon Highway patrol trooper. The trooper had received a call from a gun shop owner who had purchased the gun only to realize it had been stolen. What he didn’t know was how long ago the theft had occurred. Salt Lake City Police cross checked the serial numbers, and realized they had a match.
The shot gun is in “unbelievable condition” according to Detective Tod Van Scoy assigned to the decades old case. Wednesday he handed off the shotgun to its rightful owner. Pittinger was happy to get it back, but a little gun shy about what he would do with it. He was concerned it may have been used to commit other crimes or hurt someone. The shotgun after all these years could have exchanged hands a dozen times. Pittenger got the initial call from police a couple weeks ago. It freaked him out a little bit. He got a message from a detective saying he wanted to chat, but not what he wanted to chat about. Pittinger was relieved when he found out what the detective was after. He was also shocked that he would get his shotgun back after all these years.
Salt Lake City Police says this is a great example of why we should all keep track of serial numbers on important purchases. They say getting stolen items back to you without the number is next to impossible. A state date system tracks serial numbers of stolen goods and notifies police if someone tries to pawn the stolen goods. There is also a national database where serial numbers for guns are stored. That’s how the happy ending to this story came about.
Detective Van Scoy says, “If you have a serial number it may take 37 years, but we’ll get your property back to you eventually.”
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Photo: Salt Lake City Police Department
Copyright 2014 Sinclair Broadcast Group
“Pittinger was happy to get it back, but a little gun shy about what he would do with it. He was concerned it may have been used to commit other crimes or hurt someone.”
ARE YOU FREAKIN’ SERIOUS???
As if a gun could initiate criminal action on it’s own. Do you see the type of sheeple mentality we’re dealing with?
IDIOT!!!
Just the kinda jooey gooey feel good story they want you to have near the Christmas Holiday. Solid post to display the orchestration of Events.
It’s great to see some police departments with integrity. If this was the New Orleans police or one of their surrounding Parrish’s they would have sold the gun so they can go on ski trips.