A man in the US offered a $1 million bribe to the police after he was booked for punching a woman while trying to steal her purse.
Ricardo Esparza is accused of following the woman down an alleyway in Davenport, Iowa, earlier this week before grabbing her purse from her shoulder.
In a struggle to get the bag, the 49-year-old thief punched the woman in the face, according to arrest affidavits obtained by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.
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Despite the attack, which unfolded just after 8pm on Tuesday, May 17, the victim managed to get away uninjured – and Esparza failed to get her purse.
The arrest documents filed by Davenport Police Corporals Christopher Hebbel and Gregory Lalla describe how the woman then called the cops, who swiftly found Esparza not far from the crime scene.
After he was read his Miranda rights, the would-be robber was put in their squad car where he allegedly proceeded to attempt to pay off the officers with a whopping $1 million to release him with no arrest.
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Whether he had this amount of money is yet to be seen, but Esparza promised officers the sum, saying he could provide it in cash or directly wire it to their bank accounts.
The cops then asked him if he was trying to bribe them and he confirmed – but his master plan backfired, as he’s now being charged with second-degree robbery and bribery.
These charges are Class C and Class D felonies, carrying with them a prison sentence of up to 10 years and five years respectively.
After being booked into the Scott County Jail, Esparza appeared before the county’s District Court on Wednesday, May 18, where Magistrate Jay Sommers set his bond at $10,000 – cash only.
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Surely this is just a drop in the ocean compared to his initial offering? Nonetheless, reports suggest the criminal is still in jail as he awaits a preliminary hearing on May 27.
A number of people have commented on the incident on Twitter, with one pointing out: “He has a million cash, but he's out in alleys snatching purses.”
Another wrote, “That’s a lot of purse snatches..,” while a third quipped, “Cash or check?”
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Unilad has contacted the Davenport Police Department for further comment.
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Daisy Phillipson