Alex Thomas
A Florida sheriff’s deputy has been arrested after a video surfaced that appears to show him stealing from the home of a deceased man.
Videos by Rare
In the clip, the suspect, identified as Deputy Jason Cooke of the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office is seen rifling through the kitchen cabinets. The home belonged to Moe Rosoff, 85, who was killed during Hurricane Irma when he fell and hit his head during a power outage, ABC 10 News reports. The family of the deceased released the video on Tuesday and turned it over the police department; it’s recording date is Sept. 12.
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Cooke was arrested on Thursday and charged with burglary and grand theft. He was placed on house arrest after posting $28,000 bond. In a statement to WPBF, the sheriff’s office said, “Unfortunately sometimes an employee makes a bad decision which leads to misconduct. This misconduct was reported, investigated and subsequently determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in the charges.”
Rosoff’s family also released a statement, saying, “We were told that Officer Cooke denied the crime at first, but after he was shown the video he admitted the crimes.” They say that the deputy stole a number of medications from the house, including a stimulant, an anti-psychotic, a muscle relaxant and a pain killer. The family told WPBF that they were told Cooke was placed on administrative leave. Rosoff’s son had called deputies to conduct a welfare check on his father; when they arrived, they found him on the floor of his bedroom. He was taken to a hospital but died later that day. Authorities speculate that Cooke broke into the house using the garage door code that he heard over the radio.
Cooke has not released a statement on the charges.
