Anaheim man pleads guilty to stealing Olympic volleyball player’s gold medal from her garage
Lizbeth Cornejo, the mother of four living in the same Santa Ana condominium complex as Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas, was accused of stealing a bag containing Douglas’s Olympic medal during a burglary last year.
She was arrested and was charged with grand theft.
Douglas was on the United States Olympic basketball team, and she was attempting to carry her gold medal, which had been returned to her by the U.S. Olympic Committee, to the home where she was staying.
In early August, Douglas said she went to a local store looking for some tools, but when she returned to her apartment she found an item had been taken from her home.
A few days later an anonymous phone call told her she needed to look for a tool box in her garage.
She discovered that a bag containing the medal had been opened and someone had removed it.
The next day, police said, Douglas reported the burglary to the police.
Police arrested Cornejo on Monday morning, charging her with grand theft.
Douglas, 28, won the gold medal in the women’s 400-meter race at the 2012 London Olympics. She said she will continue to play volleyball because she loves the sport.
‘We are pleased with this resolution of the case,’ said Douglas’ mother, Lizbeth Cornejo.
‘We want to be clear that the charges have been properly dealt with and the evidence admissible in court. We look forward to her being found innocent because we know her innocence,’ Cornejo said.
DOUGLAS’ RIGHTS TO REMAIN SHOFT AT THE GYMNASTICS
Gabby Douglas has not been found guilty of stealing the Olympic medal, but it’s still possible she could lose her high jumping qualifying mark in Rio.
The International Association of Athletics Federations, which oversees the sport of track and field, announced Tuesday that Douglas was denied permission to remain at the back of the field during the indoor championships. The decision was made by an IAAF executive committee that decided Douglas did not have the