ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Rochester police are investigating a crime that took place during a plaque dedication ceremony on Sunday at Maplewood Park.
Officers said they were called for a report that a man used the ceremony as part of a cover story to steal an ATV from a couple he contacted on Craigslist.
Katherine Terry and Max Baronich of Niagara Falls said they brought the vehicle to sell to a man at Maplewood Park. They said the thief claimed he worked at the park's rose garden and would use the vehicle on the job.
The couple said the suspect used the ceremony as part of his deception, even offering them cookies and cider from the event. They said he also pointed out a man at the event claiming the man was his boss.
When Terry asked to see his ID, she said the man hopped on the ATV and took off, whipping around the park and then heading east across the Driving Park bridge.
"The police told us there's multiple stories of somebody around the corner from this place actually that has been known for stealing things,” Terry said. “They have an open case on him, where they send people out from other areas and they come in. This has happened they said numerous times now."
"They got us from an hour 40 minutes away,” Baronich said. “They got a guy from Utica."
The couple described the stolen ATV as a blue 2004 Polaris Sportsman 700 with pink handlebars. Anyone with information can call 911.