Man pulled from storm drain told authorities he used heroin prior to arrest

Wayne Rinker Michael Delvalle

The man pulled from a storm drain in the parking lot in front of Kohl's Department Store on Friday told a deputy while at the hospital later the he had shot up all of the $100 in heroin he purchased that morning in Rochester, according to a court document.

Wayne L. Rinker, 30, of Webster, was barely breathing -- in fact, at one point when he was first discovered a deputy had a hard time detecting a pulse -- when he was found by deputies lying in inches-deep water and mud in the storm drain.

When first located, deputies said it just looked like a hump in the middle of the pipe. They didn't confirm it was a person until they reached him.

The heroin may have contributed to his medical condition, according to sources. He was transported to UMMC some five hours after a deputy saw him enter the storm-drain system through a drainage ditch behind Office Max on Veterans Memorial Drive.

While deputies felt confident Rinker was in the storm drain, there was no certainty until he was actually located.

At least one deputy expressed concern during the search that if they walked away without confirming his location, he could be trapped underground, so the search pressed on with lights, binoculars and sewer pipe cameras.

He was located once deputies Michael Lute and Chad Cummings agreed to enter the drain and crawl from end to end if they had to to reach him or confirm the drain was vacant.

Rinker was suffering from mild hypothermia when he was pulled from the drain.

Sheriff Gary Maha said Rinker would have died in that storm drain if deputies hadn't located him.

He's now in jail on $5,000 bail or $10,000 bond, charged with petit larceny and conspiracy. Other charges may be pending.

His alleged partner in crime, Michael Delvalle, 21, of Rochester, was also charged.

According to a court document, Rinker told a deputy that he bought $100 in heroin and Delvalle purchased $40 in cocaine. Statements in Devalle's court file indicate deputies found a quantity of cocaine in Delvalle's vehicle, which he admitted was his.

The two men allegedly loaded up a shopping cart with Legos and dog food, using the dog food to cover the Legos.  

"I didn't intend on stealing anything, but was with someone who was," Rinker reportedly said.

Delvalle reportedly told a deputy that Rinker acted as a lookout while he gathered the toys.

"I don't have any money," Delvalle reportedly said. "I lost my job recently at Autozone in Greece," and, "My kids gave me a list of toys they wanted," and "I came into Kmart to steal toys for my kids," and "I wanted to watch my kids enjoy the Legos."

Rinker was an active conspirator in the thefts, Delvalle reportedly told the deputy.

For Rinker's part, he didn't admit to much more than, "I was walking around the store with him. He was pushing the cart."

A loss prevention officer gave a statement to authorities saying she saw Rinker place the dog food on top of the toys.

When Rinker and Delvalle were stopped by security, the two briefly spoke with the store employee before Rinker fled.

"I took off from him so I wouldn't get in trouble," Rinker reportedly told a deputy; and, "I'll be honest with you, I gave the security guy an ID that wasn't me and then took off so I wouldn't get caught."

Previously: Police looking for fleeing subject near Office Max, Batavia Downs

Video by Dan Fischer, WBTA: