Police work to complete stolen football cash investigation
by Peter Burke
Sep 22, 2009 | 810 views | 9 9 comments | 2 2 recommendations | email to a friend | print
Police are tying up all the loose ends in the investigation into more than $25,500 in cash and checks that were stolen from the Scotts Valley office of Harbor High School football coach Travis Rebbert in August.

Scotts Valley Police detectives have determined a suspect and plan to request a warrant from the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office for his arrest by the end of the week.

“We have one extra follow-up (interview), but we’re not going to delay the case because of one thing,” Lt. John Wilson said Monday.

Sgt. Jayson Rutherford conducted the investigation and informed Wilson the report will be submitted to the DA’s office by the end of the week, Wilson said. Then it’s up the DA to determine if an arrest warrant will be granted.

“You can be assured that we did everything we possibly could, including search warrants and interviews,” Wilson said. “We pretty much pulled out all stops on this one to get this information.”

As part of the investigation, Wilson said, police interviewed the man who they believe committed the crime, but cannot give any more detail about the investigation for fear of tipping the suspect off.

Wilson said the case has been a comprehensive one because there was no surveillance tape and very little physical evidence of the crime.

Rebbert took a polygraph test that may have helped clear him as a suspect.

The money – a summer’s worth of fundraised cash and checks - was stolen from the first-year head coach’s office at Jim Leonard’s Home Mortgage Connection sometime during the night of Tuesday, Aug. 25, or the next day.

There was no sign of forced entry and the money was stolen from an unlocked desk drawer in his office.

Rebbert, a 1996 San Lorenzo Valley High graduate, also coached at Scotts Valley High School as quarterbacks coach for a few years.

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comments (9)
« Ok - Who did it wrote on Thursday, Oct 08 at 06:29 PM »
Last month the SV Police were quoted saying "“We have one extra follow-up (interview), but we’re not going to delay the case because of one thing,” Lt. John Wilson said Monday."

So did they solve the case? So who did it? Where is the follow up article or was the last article just for Scotts Valley public relations purposes?
« Who did it wrote on Tuesday, Oct 06 at 05:46 PM »
"Scotts Valley Police detectives have determined a suspect and plan to request a warrant from the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office for his arrest by the end of the week."

Did I miss the big news? So who did it!
« City PR Machine wrote on Sunday, Sep 27 at 11:53 AM »
This is just another example of the influence of the Scotts Valley PR machine. When Councilman Jim Reed was the editor of the Banner the City figured out that citizens might not notice the missing facts if the City instead get something into the paper about the great work the City was doing. Want another example take a look at the "Town Center project still kicking" editorial that Bustichi wrote way back on September 4th. Funny after all this time it still manages to be on the Banner website front page.
« Jeremiah Bullfrog wrote on Saturday, Sep 26 at 02:30 AM »
Uh oh. Didn't previous stories indicate that the coach was no longer a suspect? Why does this story say: "Rebbert took a polygraph test that may have helped clear him as a suspect."

May have helped clear him? That is a lot less positive than a week ago.

Solve the OJ case too, OK?
« Mike Hunt wrote on Saturday, Sep 26 at 02:25 AM »
So, we are still waiting for some police or DA action.

It is hard to hold one's breath so long.

« Hugh Jass wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 04:15 PM »
When is the last crime the Scott's Valley Police ever solved?

They are over-funded and underworked. Scott's Valley is not a hotbed for criminal activity, unless you count the teen punks who shoplifts liquor, or the dumb asses who drive around stoned with a bag of weed in the car. I'm sure that SWAT vehicle they bought will come in really handy the next time some drunk homeless guy starts flipping off traffic. We could get by with Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife and maybe Aunt B could work the phones.
« Barka Lounger wrote on Wednesday, Sep 23 at 08:46 AM »
Sometimes the police announce things for their own reasons.

Perhaps they are trying to motivate the thief to take some sort of easily monitored action, in order to further establish his or her guilt.

I am looking forward to an arrest and more information.
« reread wrote on Tuesday, Sep 22 at 01:52 PM »
search warrants have been done, trying for an arrest warrant now.
« Why announce wrote on Tuesday, Sep 22 at 11:59 AM »
Why would the Scotts Valley Police announce that the "detectives have determined a suspect and plan to request a warrant". If the person who did the crime reads this won't they take the opportunity to destroy any remaining evidence before the search warrant is served. It seems a little foolish for the police to have announced their intentions.


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