Author Nominated for an Oscar Charged in Library Book Thefts

An author nominated for an Oscar and recently sought by police who found thousands of library books in his rented storage locker has eluded arrest on book-theft charges for more than three years, authorities revealed Wednesday.

Jerry Gustav Hasford, author of the book that became the movie “Full Metal Jacket,” is charged with grand theft in the warrant issued in Sacramento in mid-1985, said Sacramento County Sheriff’s Detective John Woodhouse.

Hasford is charged with stealing 50 to 100 books worth more than $1,000. Bail is set at $50,000.

9,816 Books Found

The warrant, which lay dormant because Hasford could not be found, came to light after university police in San Luis Obispo discovered 9,816 books from libraries as far away as Australia and Great Britain, in a storage locker rented by Hasford.

The officers, from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have been unable to locate Hasford, a sometime area resident, since the raid on the locker March 17.

“He’s not going to show up at the Academy Awards, let’s be realistic,” Woodhouse said in a telephone interview.

Studio Has Lost Contact

Hasford is not listed in area phone books and a spokesman for Warner Bros., which made the movie, said the studio has lost touch with him.

Hasford, whose novel, “The Short-Timers,” became “Full Metal Jacket,” shares the screen writing nomination with director Stanley Kubrick and Michael Herr. The awards ceremony will be April 11.

Police from the university planned to take their evidence to the district attorney’s office today.