Prosecutors allege Matthew D. Zook, 37, had been working at Battle Ground Cinemas for three weeks when he stole a week’s worth of the movie theater’s deposits.
Zook stole $16,333 from the theater on Aug. 3, according to an affidavit of probable cause. He was identified as the theft suspect the same day.
He was summoned Friday to Clark County Superior Court to face a charge of first-degree theft, though it’s unclear through online court records if he appeared; Zook is listed on the Clark County Jail roster. His next hearing is scheduled for April 23, according to online court records.
Zook was arrested earlier this month in a separate case charging him with first-degree child molestation for allegedly inappropriately touching a girl at a Vancouver grocery store. He pleaded not guilty to the charge last week, court records say.
The summons in the theft case was filed Monday in Superior Court. The probable cause affidavit says Battle Ground police Officer Kyle Kinnan was dispatched in the early afternoon of Aug. 3 to 1700 Southwest Ninth St., for a report of a theft.
While en route to the theater, Washington State Patrol troopers relayed that an employee, Zook, had taken a large sum of money and left in his black Ford Focus, which witnesses had seen pull to the side of state Highway 502; the driver threw empty bags from the car, according to the affidavit.
The manager of the theater, Megan Carter, told police she’d been filling in at the Battle Ground business until Zook was trained to take over the position, according to the affidavit. Zook “seemed normal” as he was getting the tills ready for the day, Carter said. But she lost track of her co-worker.
“Matt was gone and so were all of the deposits for the week that Brinks Armored Transport was scheduled to pick up,” the affidavit says.
Carter estimated Zook made off with about $12,000. Police later calculated Zook stole about $4,000 more than the initial estimate, according to the affidavit.
Police viewed surveillance footage provided by the manager that showed Zook steal the money from an office and walk out, according to the affidavit.
An officer also responded to Zook’s parents’ home. When asked why Zook would steal from his new employer, they said a judge recently ordered him to pay $680 a month in child support, and Zook could not afford it, court records say.
Police tried to call Zook on his cellphone, but he didn’t pick up, according to the affidavit.
