200 pounds of X-ray film stolen at Beach hospital www.privateofficer.com
VIRGINIA BEACH VA Aug 10 2012 -Police say two men stole X-rays from Sentara Va. Beach General Hospital, likely for the silver on the film.
Sentara officials tell WVEC.com the men pulled off the same crime seven hours earlier at a Baltimore hospital.
They went into Sentara Va. Beach General Hospital around 1:00 a.m. on August 1.
“They knew enough about hospital operations to bluff their way in,” Sentara spokesman Dale Gauding said.
They were stopped by security for not having badges and then returned later, through another entrance, and convinced a worker in the radiology department they were with the destruction company.
The men took more than 200 pounds of film from the hospital and left in an old yellow, perhaps a Penske, truck.
Gauding says Sentara is in the process of determining which X-rays were taken and then the hospital will notify patients.
There’s very little patient information on the x-rays – a name and date of birth. He says the X-rays are at least 2.5 years old and are used for comparison when new digital images are taken.
“We believe the men are less interested in the personal information than they are for the silver,” Gauding stressed.
Anyone with concerns can call 1-800-Sentara during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.)
Meantime, Gauding says Sentara is tightening its procedures.
One man is Hispanic and the other is white.
If you know the men or where they are, call Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
According to silver recovery websites, all X-ray film contains about 2 percent of its weight in silver after processing, so depending on how many x-rays are taken and the price of silver, thieves could be cashing in..
Source: WVEC.com
