SHOE ADDICT GONE BAD

Looks like a case the record books in Newark, Delaware USA.

46-year-old Walter Rubincan is facing 25 counts of burglary with investigators believing he has burglarized hundreds of homes over the past two decades.

Police have recovered 150 boxes of shoes that they say Rubincan stole. That's not 150 shoe boxes, but rather 150 boxes containing several thousand shoes. Lt. Henry says two officers are now trudging through the evidence box by box, "They'll empty it, inventory it, photograph it, then it goes back into the box, & they'll do the same with box number two."

In addition to the shoes, police also recovered eight guitars, a mandolin, eight snowboards, a surfboard, and other sports equipment. Investigators have also seized photos Rubincan is accused of stealing from Newark homes.

Newark Police Lt. Brian Henry says he has never seen a case like this in his 20 years in the department, "A crime spree that's gone on for two decades that's involved so much property and has finally been brought to conclusion. I've never seen anything like it."

It appears that Rubincan derived some type of thrill from stealing these items & having them in his possession.

The thefts went under the radar as many victims didn't report the stolen shoes. "They figured they lost their shoes, misplaced them, in the case of college students, [they thought] their roommates borrowed them." Henry says it wasn't until five similar burglaries were reported over the Christmas break that investigators noticed the trend.

This shoe addict gone bad was arrested January 29. He is now facing 25 counts of burglary, 77counts of theft, & 15 counts of criminal mischief.

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