Thousands of X-rays stolen from MD hospital

Baltimore County police are looking for someone who stole thousands of X-rays from St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson in what they believe was a scheme to extract the silver from the images. The hospital said Friday that someone posed as a worker for a radiological film destruction company to get access to the X-rays. The theft was believed to have occurred Sept. 11 and discovered five days later. Hospital and police officials did not identify a suspect. The hospital says the X-rays were likely stolen for the silver and that it does not think that patient information was a target. X-rays are coated with silver to enhance images. The silver can be removed while destroying the X-rays and then sold. The theft comprised about 5,000 X-rays and radiological films taken during 2004, 2005 and part of 2007.