Racano arrested for allegedly stealing coffeehouse tips

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Activist, environmentalist and former City Council

candidate Joey Racano spent five days in jail earlier this month after he

was arrested on suspicion of taking money from a coffee shop tip jar.

Lt. Chuck Thomas of the Huntington Beach Police Department said

officers arrested Racano, 44, a 12-year Surf City resident, March 16 at

the Starbucks coffeehouse at 221 Main St. and charged him with burglary.

He was held on $10,000 bail until March 19, when he appeared before an

Orange County Superior Court judge at the West Justice Center in

Westminster and was sentenced to five days.

Starbucks officials said patrons witnessed Racano taking money from

the counter tip jar and alerted the staff. The authorities were called a

short time later.

Racano stated solidly that he is not guilty of any burglary, but

conceded to petty theft charges to ensure his release from jail.

“I was getting hot water for tea, and was simply making change, not

stealing,” he said. “It’s something I’ve done many times over the years

with permission.”

Racano chalks up his high visibility and activism as reasons for his

arrest. Over the years, he’s waged a successful campaign to preserve a

pocket of wetlands called Little Shell, and protested the Orange County

Water District’s offshore dumping of partially treated waste water.

Most recently, he has been protesting the Main Street Starbucks for

using milk from cows injected with bovine growth hormones. Starbucks

officials have said that 25% of its milk is free of the hormone, and it

working to increase that amount.

“It comes with the territory of an activist, no doubt,” Racano said of

his clash with authorities. “The bottom line is they want me out of

town.”