Stolen Children's Heart Defibrillators Worth $500K Recovered in Santee

Santee, CA — The arrest of a Santee resident led authorities to the recovery of $500,000 worth of stolen children’s heart defibrillators.
When Corey Cooper, 31, was arrested Monday in Santee on an outstanding warrant, he was allegedly found to be in possession of $250,000 worth of the medical devices, according to San Diego County sheriff’s Detective Chris Katra.
The internal children’s heart defibrillators were designated for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital but had been stolen during the burglary of a San Diego home in May.
“Santee detectives contacted the San Diego Police Department and worked together to return the equipment,” Katra said.
Then on Thursday, as sheriff’s detectives were searching a residence in Santee related to their investigation of Cooper, Katra said they found and recovered another $250,000 worth of the defibrillators, as well as other medical equipment.
Detectives also arrested a man and two women Thursday at the Santee home on suspicion of various narcotics-related charges.
An investigation of the alleged thefts is ongoing.
Anyone with information that may be helpful in the case was urged to call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Callers can remain anonymous and still be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to a felony arrest in the case.