Edgartown police recover stolen Rolex and GoPro camera

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File photo by Ralph Stewart

Aided by a guilty conscience, Edgartown Police recovered a Rolex watch and a GoPro camera stolen from a vacationing family in Katama last weekend. Police said the culprit was the boyfriend of the family’s longtime babysitter.

Mark Nassiff Jr., 41, of Fall River, and his wife had rented a home in Katama and brought their babysitter, Jenna Berthiume, with them on the trip to help care for their two children.

According to the police report, on Wednesday the Nassiffs allowed Ms. Berthiume’s boyfriend, Justin Leclair, 19, of Freetown, to spend the night with the family.

Ms. Berthiume and Mr. Leclair took the Nassiffs’ two children out for dinner and ice cream that evening while the Nassiffs went out for dinner. Ms. Berthiume, Mr. Leclair, and the Nassiffs’ two children were asleep by the time the parents returned just after midnight.

When he returned, Mr. Nassiff discovered that a Rolex watch valued at $6,000 he had left on his bureau when he had changed for dinner at about 6 pm was missing. He told police he did not lock the doors when he and his wife went out for dinner.

Friday morning, Detective Michael Snowden went to the Katama house to continue the investigation. Mr. Nassiff reported that a GoPro camera had also gone missing.

Ms. Berthiume and Mr. Leclair were scheduled to take a 10 am ferry that morning. Detective Snowden encouraged Mr. Nassiff to discuss the missing watch and camera with the pair before they left. The babysitter and her boyfriend denied any theft.

However, as Mrs. Nassiff waited with Ms. Berthiume and Mr. Leclair at the ferry line that morning, Mr. Leclair took the GoPro camera out of his pocket and told Mrs. Nassiff, “Oh, by the way, I have this,” according to Detective Snowden.

On Saturday, after Mr. Leclair had returned to his hometown, he called the Nassiffs to tell them that the missing watch was hidden behind a dryer in the Katama rental. The Nassiffs had already moved out of the Katama house to a second Edgartown rental. Officer James Craig returned to the Katama house, where he located the watch.

Police said they have not decided whether to seek larceny charges against Mr. Leclair.