ROSWELL N.M. (KRQE) – Remember the teen who was caught last year for stealing the flying saucer that used to be on the outside of the Roswell UFO Museum? It was a prank caught on tape.
You may be surprised at what kind of punishment he got for that dumb move. If you were thinking that teen probably got a slap on the wrist, guess again. KRQE News 13 has learned the judge sentenced him to up to a year in a juvenile facility.
Surveillance video caught him and two friends stealing the UFO back in March. It was sitting behind the museum after it was damaged during a blizzard when 17-year-old Newman Seely and two others swiped it and took off.
After the crime, a tip led police to Seely. Court records show that Seely then confessed to the crime, and was sentenced to up to a year in a juvenile detention facility.
While Roswell loves its UFO Museum, some people around town were surprised by the sentence.
“I would think that one year is too excessive. I would think that a small fine would be appropriate and also maybe community service,” said Rob Dilbeck, who lives in Roswell.
The UFO was found trashed in a ditch outside town. Although it wasn’t worth that much, the flying saucer was a well-known sight in Roswell and the theft really bothered a lot of people, including workers at the museum.
Police say that Seely would not tell them who the other two teens were.
It’s not clear how much time Seely ended up serving, but his Facebook posts stopped for nine months and then started back up about a month ago.
The UFO at the museum has still not been replaced.
