Caught On Camera: Autographed Football Stolen During Jerry Rice Fundraiser
MILPITAS (CBS SF) -- An autographed football signed by San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famer Jerry Rice was stolen from a fundraiser attended by Rice, with the incident caught on camera.
Hayward-based Prince of Peace Enterprises, distributor of the muscle analgesic Tiger Balm endorsed by Rice, held the fundraiser Sunday at a restaurant in Milpitas with the NFL star as a celebrity guest.
The fundraiser was benefiting special-needs children at an orphanage in China.
At the end of the evening, a souvenir football autographed by Rice was swiped by a man in plain view of others at the Koi Palace Seafood Restaurant. A surveillance camera appeared to catch the man in the act.
Organizers of the event filed a police report and were asking the public's help in finding the person seen on camera. He is Asian and appears to be in his 20s with shoulder length hair in a ponytail. He was wearing a plaid shirt, jeans and black sneakers.
The organizers said the winning bid for the football was $3,500. Under California law, a stolen item with a value over $950 would be considered grand theft.