Two people have been arrested in San Francisco after their alleged involvement in stealing a computer that had $10,000 worth of Bitcoin on it. Police are hunting for a third suspect.
Suspects Take More Than What Was Agreed Upon
Santa Clara County sheriff deputies have arrested Yessica Barajas, 18, and Welbar Quintanilla, 24, both from San Jose.
According to a report, a family hired three individuals to help them move out of their home. A fee was initially agreed upon for their services. However, two hours into the job, the suspects demanded to be paid more, reports the CBS SF Bay Area.
When they were refused the new figure, the three decided to take what they thought they were owed. As a result, they allegedly stole a TV and an Apple iMac. It’s claimed that they then escaped in a grey, two-door Lexus SC400. The family reported the incident to police, whereupon they informed the deputies that the computer, worth $3,000, had $10,000 worth of Bitcoin on it. It’s not known if the suspects were aware of this.
After looking at video footage, deputies went to the homes of Barajas and Quintanilla to search for the stolen goods. They were unable to locate the stolen items; however, they arrested the pair on suspicion of robbery.
Deputies are still searching for a third suspect.
Bitcoin Gains in Popularity
In this situation, it’s not known if the suspects were aware of what they had taken. If they did, though, it’s unlikely they would have been able to access the account where the coins were stored unless they had the access keys to do so.
Yet, for the owners of the computer, it’s important they regain it back. If not, they will lose their coins forever. Bitcoin has gained in popularity over the years. Last year alone, Bitcoin’s value soared by nearly 2,000 percent as more people started investing.
However, while it remains a popular investment tool, there are no banking protections with it. This means that if someone loses access to their bitcoins, there’s no way of retrieving or replacing those coins.
Despite the risks involved with the market, it’s not stopping traders from purchasing crypto assets. This is evident by the fact that Bitcoin is once again clawing its way to $7,000. At the time of publishing it’s valued at $6,710, according to CoinMarketCap. It may be a far cry from the $20,000 mark, but it’s still an asset that many in the community believe will reach new highs.
All the more reason why it’s important for the family to reclaim their computer.
Do you know someone who has lost access to their bitcoins? Let us know in the comments below.
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