Tucson Thief Allegedly Caught on Camera Stealing Coronavirus Test Kits From Medical Center

Richard Moorhead   |  

Mar 22, 2020

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The Tucson Police Department is seeking information regarding a man who allegedly stole almost 30 coronavirus test kits on Friday.

The unknown man entered the El Rio Health Center just before closing time disguised as a delivery driver. When employees returned to work the next day, they realized that 29 coronavirus testing kits were missing from the facility.

It’s hard to imagine anything that could be more destructive to testing for the viral disease in its hour of epidemic. The tests the man stole are going to be worthless, anyway- results from samples can’t be obtained without private laboratory equipment the test burglar almost certainly won’t have access to.

Members of the community responded with fury to find that a man had singlehandedly harmed coronavirus preparation effots by stealing test kits.

Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic man, approximately 5’10 in height, and with a dark beard. He left the health center in a Dodge Charger. If arrested, he could face even more severe criminal charges that mundane burglary. Arizona’s Governor Doug Ducey has declared a statewide state of emergency on account of the coronavirus epidemic.

There is no such thing as a home test for the novel coronavirus. If the man tries to sell the test kits, presumably at outrageous prices, he’ll be peddling medical technology that is essentially useless.

Arizona incurred its 100th diagnosis of the Chinese coronavirus on Saturday, after the disease was slow to begin spreading in the state.

It’s possible the desert state, known for the warmest climate in North America, could be spared the very worst of the epidemic on the basis of its hot weather.