Carson man jailed in theft from disabled student

A Carson City man was jailed Thursday for allegedly stealing items from his girlfriend's disabled son.

According to the arrest report, the victim suffers from cerebral palsy. He has no ability to walk or control his movements, but he can speak, though he uses a computer to speak for him, the report states.

On Thursday, he and his aide met with a Carson High School dean to report the student's iPad, camera and a $2,000 World Wrestling Federation belt, given to him by a wrestler during a visit to Florida, were missing from his bedroom on Feb. 11.

The victim said that someone witnessed David Catalani, 32, take the items from the home to sell them at a pawn shop. In addition, the victim said, $15 went missing from his wallet after Catalani allegedly asked him for the money and he said no.

He said when he told his mother, his mother allegedly told his aide to not allow him to make a report with police.

The aide confirmed that when she picked the victim up from his home on the morning of Feb. 11, the iPad was on the victim's lap. But upon returning to the house late that day it was gone.

Catalani was contacted and arrested on an unrelated warrant. According to the report, he agreed to speak about the missing items.

"David did say he pawned the iPad because he was trying to pay for domestic violence counseling classes he needed," the report states. "David then told me he pawned the WWF belt, too. David said he did not think it was stealing ... because everyone lived in the same house."

The deputy was able to locate the items at a Carson Street pawn shop.

Catalani was arrested on suspicion of felony exploitation of a vulnerable person and two counts of grand larceny. Bail was set at $25,000.