SALT LAKE CITY — A North Salt Lake man whose job was to help clean airplanes at the Salt Lake City International Airport is accused of taking a $9,000 watch left behind by a passenger.
Filiki Tiaua, 26, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with theft of lost property, a second-degree felony.
On Nov. 21, a man was on a Delta flight headed to Salt Lake City, "and put his Omega watch valued between $7,000 and $9,000 in his pocket during the flight. After he deplaned, he realized the watch was missing. He called the flight crew, but no one had seen the watch," according to charging documents.
Police were contacted and the serial number of the watch was put into a national database. The watch was sold to a pawn shop in North Salt Lake on Feb. 2, and police were contacted after the serial number appeared on a database.
Detectives learned that the watch was sold to the pawn shop by Tiaua's brother, who lives with Tiaua, according to the charges. Police then discovered "Tiaua works for the company that cleans the airplanes after they land in Salt Lake City" and that Tiaua "was on the list of people who cleaned the plane from which the watch went missing."
When questioned by officers, Tiaua admitted to taking the watch that he found while cleaning the plane, the charges allege.
"The airplane cleaning company has strict and clear rules on turning in lost property," a police booking affidavit states.
