San Gabriel Valley : ROCKS IN THE BOX
A thief in Pasadena reached into the Planetary Society director’s convertible car, snatched a duct-tape-covered, 70-pound box that was wedged in the back seat and made off with absolutely nothing of value.
Louis Friedman told police last week that the box, containing 65-million-year-old rocks that scientists unearthed during a recent expedition to Belize, had been stolen.
“They’re absolutely worthless,” said Friedman, whose unlocked car was parked near the Planetary Society on North Catalina Avenue. “They’re just like rocks you would find on the ground. Someone probably equated heavy with valuable.”
While the rocks have no monetary value, the chemicals they contain might hold information about an asteroid shower that is believed to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Friedman said he is offering $100 for the return of the minerals. That may sound like a lot for a box of rocks, but another expedition to replace the samples would cost $5,000, Friedman said.
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