Reality Bug

Burn and Return

Thursday, August 21 2008 | Comments (3)

Dog is after a fugitive who is allegedly an expert in the game of "burn and return"--shoplifting goods to return them for cash refunds. But the fugitive is now homeless, sending Dog and the team on a hunt through the soup kitchens and parks of Colorado Springs.

Today Dog and his crew are in Colorado Springs preparing to chase another one of Bobby Brown's clients. But first, everyone just has to comment on Dog's shirt. Duane Lee and
Leland make fun of his "cheetah" shirt. Baby Lyssa thinks it's fashionable and cool.

Beth likes it and doesn't care what anyone else thinks, "I think it's sexy. And at the end of the day its me ripping that shirt off."

Bobby Brown has many fugitives they could chase, but today they are going after Brian Puerta who is charged with assault. Brian will be hard to find, if only because, as Dog notes, "the only thing we know about him is that he looks completely different in every picture that's been taken of him over the last few years."

As they drive towards Brian's mom's house, Leland looks over his file and sees that he's never missed a court date before this one. The difference this time? Brian is listed as homeless. Beth is looking over his file too and see's that Brian's father, when asked how long he's known Brian, put down "too long."

The crew stop to confer. Brian is likely to be in the soup kitchen and flop house areas of Colorado Springs. They decide to call his dad who says he's been waiting for their call. He gives them the name of some parks where Brian--and many other homeless people--hang out. In one of the parks some people recognize his picture. His been seen there and at one of the soup kitchens.

Still, they can't seem to close on him. They decide to wait over night and try to develop more leads. Bobby manages to drum up an informant, and they check out a motor home Brian may be using as a hideout. He isn't there though and Dog and Bobby grill the informant for more info. He tells them Brian is heavily involved in "burn and return" schemes--stealing things he can then return to a store for a refund.

They stake out the truck but while they wait they here a rumor that he has been apprehended by the police. Though glad he's been caught, its still a let down for them after all that work.

There is nothing to do but search for someone else. "It's like a fumble," Dog says, "You get back in the game, you hike it, you get a touchdown." They pick a girl named Jessica Ruth, who is wanted for theft and failure to appear in court. Most of her theft is "theft by receiving," which Dog explains as "you knew it was hot but you took it anyway."

They have some leads on her, including the number of a guy she may be living with. His home number is disconnected, but his work number turns out to be a place she has worked at. The posse heads over to the agency, rushing as it is going to close soon. They don't even know till they get to the place that it's a modeling/talent agency. Bobby goes in to check it out and arranges for them to call her, saying he wants to hire her to model for him.

Dog hopes she hurries: he needs this capture to make up for the one that got away. Beth points out the obvious: her modeling pictures show a younger girl than her mug shot. There may be some kind of scam here or something other than modeling. Dog lists her resume, provided by the agency, and her impressive acting and modeling credentials sound legit. Beth still doesn't buy it though.

Bobby comes back to say Jessica is on her way, so they pull off to one side to hide in an empty office till her car arrives. They rush the car, but she is already in the office and, when she realizes she's surrounded, doesn't resist capture. Jessica is completely confused about how the bonding procedure works. She seems to think she could show up whenever she was ready.

She has an excuse for her theft too, but Beth doesn't buy it. There are a long list of offenses and not one of them, according to her, is her fault. Dog recognizes a fellow BSer and tries to convince her that she needs to use her 'gift" of persuasion to help people. She is in denial about how much trouble she's in, but Dog still thinks she isn't a criminal at heart, she has just made a few mistakes and got burned. He and Bobby try to arrange to help her. They think there is hope for her yet.

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