Bob CollinsKatie Mager, 27, of Apple Valley, Minn., a teacher, and Ryan Reiersgaard, 27, of Burnsville, Minn., a ride sharing driver, had a ton of fun last week, claiming they were robbed and, as is often the case in these sorts of things, claiming the perpetrator was a person of color.
The Chicago Tribune reports it was Ryan’s birthday and they thought one way to celebrate was to claim three men approached them with a knife and took her engagement ring, along with $5,000 cash, $3,000 Louis Vuitton suitcase, a Burberry purse, a $2,000 MacBook Air laptop, a $300 suitcase, a wallet and a $150 iPad Mini.
Mager told police she could recognize one of the alleged attackers because he “looked like a milk-dud or Fat Albert, reeked of marijuana and was short in height and heavy-set,” according to Assistant State’s Attorney Joseph Carlson.
Reiersgaard said the whole scam was Mager’s idea and that “he doesn’t know her motives.” He said that sometimes, their “shenanigans” get out of control and that he was only trying to have some fun on his birthday, Carlson said.
All the men who allegedly mugged them were black, she said, according to the Chicago Sun Times.
Barney Fife could’ve solved this caper, particularly since security film at the airport showed they didn’t have any luggage or carry-on baggage.
Video from where the assault allegedly occurred showed nothing.
They told officers they had landed at O’Hare International Airport from Minneapolis around 9 p.m. and spent about three hours trying to find a rental car.
Mager said she was trying to meet her friend in Evanston for pizza but couldn’t remember the restaurant name. They told police they got lost near Lower Wacker Drive, parked the car and got out on foot with their luggage.
Reiersgaard told police he couldn’t track the Apple items because they were turned off. Maher said she was too stressed out to think about why they would have gotten out of the car to walk around to look for their hotel with their luggage, according to prosecutors.
Police said the couple was unable to provide serial numbers for the luggage, electronics and jewelry. Airport security footage showed them traveling without luggage.
After being arrested, Mager told police she “made a mistake, had bad friends and is sorry.” She said she would only be honest with police if they promised to let her go home, prosecutors said.
Right. Because that’s exactly how it works when you’re charged with felonies.
