Man Arrested Had Braille Devices Stolen From County: Police

SANTA ROSA - A Santa Rosa man was arrested on suspicion of possessing two Braille electronic devices that were allegedly stolen from the Sonoma County Office of Education.

The devices enable the visually impaired to access the internet and magnify tablet and computer screens.

They were stolen before they were delivered by FEDEX to the Office of Education, Santa Rosa police Sgt. Marcus Sprague said.

Police located the devices, valued at more than $6,500, while searching through second-hand dealer receipts and identified Justin Loewen, 33, of Santa Rosa as the suspect who sold them, Sprague said.

Loewen, who had a criminal history involving burglary and theft, had four such cases pending in Sonoma County, Sprague said.

Detectives matched the devices' shipping invoices to the devices that Loewen allegedly sold, Sprague said.

Loewen was taken into custody when he appeared in Sonoma County Superior Court May 23 on unrelated charges.

He was booked in the Sonoma County Jail for felony possession of stolen property and committing a felony while out on bail, Sprague said.

The two devices were recovered and delivered to the Office of Education, Sprague said.

-Bay City News, image via Mario Sánchez Bueno/Flickr