LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A burglar stole tens of thousands of dollars from a safe at a Los Angeles homeless shelter. The cash was taken early yesterday from Union Rescue Mission. It belonged to homeless people who saved earnings from jobs outside the shelter.
Officials say the thief set a fire to cover his tracks, forcing residents to evacuate from the downtown shelter. No one was injured.
The mission's chief executive says one man stored more than $10,000 in the safe while several others had about $4,000 each. The mission hopes to pay back the money, whether or not the theft is covered by insurance.
A police spokeswoman says firefighters told detectives about the robbery, but she has no information on possible suspects. The mission says a security camera captured the thief leaving the shelter.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Now, I don't mean to let my "Class envy" show here but I couldn't scrape 10,000 pennies together right now, let alone $10,000 in cash! And "Several others" had over $4000?!
First, it is ridiculous to me that I work steady, am a part of our local community, own my own home and there is no way I could put even the $4000 in cash together if my life depended on it. Apparently, I'd be better off living in a homeless shelter in LA. Maybe with my cardboard sign: "Will play music for food"!
Then, what does this say about the cost of living in the LA area when you can't move out of a homeless shelter with $10,000 in cash available?
Every day it is driven home to me that I don't fit into this world.
