DA will not charge man who took SLO police chief’s gun

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Skeeter Mangan

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow has decided not to file charges against the man who found SLO Police Chief Deanna Cantrell’s firearm on a toilet paper holder in El Pollo Loco and then turned it over to police the following day, Dow announced on Saturday.

After officers collected the gun, they thanked Skeeter Mangan and his brother-in-law Sean Greenwood, and said they did not plan to charge Mangan based on Penal Code 485, Greenwood said. But shortly after Mangan returned the firearm, the city issued a press release that said he was a suspect in the theft of the chief’s firearm.

In his announcement, Dow wrote that even though there was enough evidence to support a misdemeanor charge of Penal Code section 485 because Mangan did not immediately attempt to return the gun, he had selected not to proceed with criminal charges.

“After thoroughly considering all the circumstances, I have concluded that it would not be in the interest of justice to charge Mr. Mangan with a crime,” Dow wrote.

According to Penal Code 485, a person is guilty of theft if they find property, and appropriate the property for their own use, “without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to the owner.”

In his press release, Dow credits Greenwood for the return of the gun.

“Mr. Greenwood’s actions enabled the quick recovery of this lost firearm and prevented any further harm to come from this unfortunate situation,” Dow wrote. “It is my sincere hope that Mr. Mangan and other members of our community have learned from this widely publicized situation that failure to take immediate steps to find the rightful owner of lost property is a crime of theft under California law.”

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One Comment about “DA will not charge man who took SLO police chief’s gun”

  1. Justice.Seeker says:

    Why isn’t the SLO County DA filing charges against SLO Chief of Police Deanna Cantrell ?
    Chief Cantrell is the person who left her fully loaded Duty Weapon in an open Public area. That is at the very least Criminal Negligence.

    There is a California Law against leaving a loaded firearm “unattended” where a Child can gain access to the gun. SLO County DA’s Office has filed charges against “other people” (not a Public Official like Chief Cantrell). So why does a Public Official, whose JOB requires the utmost of care and caution, get a “Pass” when she Publicly Breaks the law… and tries to Hide her folly, Lying to others about it, and failing to notify other Law Enforcement Officers immediately; to lessen the Risk of Death or Injury to those Officers and the Public at Large ?

    Then Chief Cantrell goes on Official Record (via the Internet – Social Media) and she LIES about her actions and failures to actually take Required/Appropriate actions. Then the SLO City Attorney lies, saying that “They” had safe guarded any child from getting hurt. Then the SLO City Council tries to sweep this whole ugly mess under-the-rug, by fining Chief Cantrell $1500…. for Risking the Lives of Innocent Children, Lying about Her Actions (and Failure to Actually take “Immediate Action”).

    I guess the Citizens will just have to Clean Up the SLO City Council Members’ mess now….

    But what about Chief Cantrell’s next fiasco ?

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