When I think of what people sell on Facebook, I imagine small Etsy-like trinkets or used cars and furniture. However, human skin is not something I’d ever imagine to be on the market, but that business niche is just what one 47-year-old California man tried to get into. ‘Tried’ is the keyword here, as he was arrested and is being detained, not for selling but stealing skin grafts and other surgical equipment from multiple hospitals.
According to the San Bernardino Sun, this sneaky skin snatcher was waltzing through different hospitals’ restricted areas by presenting himself as one of the staff. By pretending to be some sort of nurse or surgeon’s assistant, he was allegedly able to steal $300,000 worth of skin and surgical tools. He then tried to sell these items on Facebook. Now, police have not released details about whether the skin grafts were in his selection of wares, but it’s possible. But note that selling human tissue is actually banned by federal law, so it’s unlikely his business could have ever been legal.
But Why Skin Grafts?
As impressive as it was for this criminal to masquerade around as a fake hospital worker, one has to wonder: Why skin grafts of all things? After all, he can’t make money off of them as easily as he could other items in a hospital. If you’re wondering this, you’re not alone. Reddit is baffled by this thief’s choice as well. “Who TF is buying skin grafts on Facebook?!??? And why?” a Redditor comments in disbelief. “I gotta wonder how you fence that,” pondered another. One person believes it might be possible that the man already had a buyer lined up for the skin grafts; he just had to steal them.
Still, it is definitely bizarre and rather uncanny. “People are weirder than I ever expect, and I spend most of my days on Reddit,” remarks a user. “Working in both retail and fraud prevention, I learned that people will steal the weirdest sh*t if it pays,” chimed in another. Regardless, the case of the skin snatcher has been closed, and the 47-year-old is being held on bail for $100,000. Unfortunately, he’ll now never be as skinny as he hoped to be.
