BEAVERTON, Ore. — The Beaverton Police Department arrested a woman on Monday, after they said she tried to sell stolen sports cards to police officers. Police said the woman had stolen a backpack with $50,000 worth of sports cards, and jewelry inside after it fell from a suitcase at the Beaverton Transit Center on Sunday.
"I walked 20 feet and turned around and it was gone," Steve Ortiz said. He says he had flown in from Wisconsin to visit family and took the train from the airport to the Beaverton Transit Center. Ortiz said, he had just exited the MAX train to catch a bus and crossed the tracks, when his leather backpack full of sports cards, coins and jewelry inside fell off. "There was maybe five, six people on the MAX and that was it. That was all."
He turned around, looked all over and never saw anyone with it. He chalked it up to what he called a "stupid, stupid mistake" and wasn't going to pursue it, thinking it wouldn't be found. Then, later that day, his family noticed one of the cards listed for sale on Facebook's Marketplace.
"You could tell these people didn't know what they were doing, or nothing like that because $400 for a Mickey Mantle card," Ortiz said looking at one of the listings.
Of the ten cards he was traveling with, hoping to get them graded and appraised — was a 1961 Mickey Mantle baseball card, that if in the right condition could be worth thousands of dollars.
"They're looking for quick cash, like right now," Ortiz said.
The seller had listed other cards of his too, including a Barry Sanders rookie card and a Michael Jordan all-star card.
"When I saw her on marketplace, I was like that's her — that's the girl that was on the Max," Ortiz said.
Inside the bag, beside the cards were two rings, and three pendant necklaces. Items that are even more special to Steve than the baseball cards. The jewelry belonged to his late wife, Kathy.
"She had just passed away a couple years ago, almost now. I carry that with me just for," Steve started to say before choking up.
Steve and Kathy had been married for 13 years. They had 10 kids between the two of them, and would spend their time between Oregon and Wisconsin visiting their families. In September 2022, Kathy was diagnosed with multiple forms of cancer. Steve said she passed away just two weeks after being diagnosed.
The jewelry went everywhere with Ortiz.
"Just so I feel close to her." He said finishing his thought.
He said his family tried to set up a meeting to buy the cards back, but ultimately backed out after Beaverton police got involved. They arrested 34-year-old Dawn Castro, after she tried to sell police the stolen card. Police recovered the backpack with all the cards and jewelry inside, Castro had pawned off some of the coins.
Ortiz is just happy to have the jewelry back, "Everything in there is materialistic stuff, can be replaced. Not a big deal. It was just the jewelry I cared about because it has the meaning it has."
Castro was arrested and charged with aggravated theft in the first-degree. She was booked and released and will soon be arraigned on the charge in court.