Someone out there apparently loves visiting their local libraries even more than the average citizen. Police seized about 2000 library books and numerous DVDs from a Vista, CA woman according to the San Diego Reader.
The woman, Maria Nater, brought her two sons (7 and 8 years old) and a rolling cart to the Carlsbad library last July with her. One of her sons was leaving the library with materials that had not been checked out and the alarm sounded. The library staff stopped the boy and retrieved the items.
Library employees contacted the police who began an investigation into Nater. They ended up seizing around 2000 library books and lots of DVDs that were stolen from public libraries around Vista. Nater admitted in a plea bargain that she was selling the books online through Amazon. She will pay $7600 in restitution to the libraries and is set to be sentenced for up to three years’ custody in April.
It looks like she thought the books at the library really were “free”. One can only imagine what her kids think when she says they are going to the library. At least the libraries will get a lot of their books back and some of their funds back from the restitution.