3rd suspect in theft of watch from dying man in Pa. hospital pleads guilty, gets probation

PHILADELPHIA – A third defendant has pleaded guilty to stealing a wristwatch from a man dying in a Philadelphia hospital waiting room last fall.

Richard Alten pleaded guilty to theft and conspiracy Monday. Common Pleas Judge Adam Beloff sentenced the 45-year-old to 30 months of probation and drug and alcohol screening.

Prosecutors say Alten stole a watch from 63-year-old Joaquin (wah-KEEN') Rivera as he sat unresponsive in an emergency room waiting area in November. Rivera died of a heart attack.

Alten's co-defendants, Martin Smith and Jannira Walker, pleaded guilty earlier and were sentenced to probation.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com