Suspect accused of stealing from Bears' first-round pick
By admin - 2018-05-09 16:36:08

A suspect was apprehended and most of the items recovered in last weekend’s theft of valuables from the vehicle of Chicago Bears’ rookie linebacker Roquan Smith.

Athens-Clarke County police confirmed that Smith’s Georgia Bulldogs jerseys and helmet from last season’s Rose Bowl and national championship games were among the items recovered, NFL Network reported.

“I would personally like to thank everyone for their kind words and prayers as the Athens-Clarke County police department worked very hard to identify the individual responsible for this,” Smith said in a video he posted to Twitter Wednesday. “It was definitely huge. I would also like to thank many of you that spread information on various social media outlets. Due to the prompt attention by the Athens-Clarke County police department, I was able to recover most of my items as well as the individual being identified. Just like to thank you guys so much.”

Police were reportedly also able to recover several pairs of Bose headphones, a pair of watches, some Nike shoes and Bluetooth speakers. Authorities said Smith’s team-issued iPad was the only item they were unable to recover, but Bears vice president of communications Brandon Faber told the Chicago Tribune Monday that sensitive information, including the team’s playbook, was never in jeopardy because the iPad was wiped clean the moment Bears officials were alerted of the crime.

Smith, Chicago’s first round pick and the 8th overall selection of the draft, is expected to be an integral part of the defensive unit this coming season.