Story Archive

Gotta Catch ’Em All

A man in an Atlanta, Ga., Target store removed a cell phone from a box and slipped the phone into his pocket. A manager confronted him, but decided to “back off” when the man pulled an axe out of his backpack. That turned shoplifting into armed robbery, and the man escaped into the woods near the store. The manager gave a good description of the culprit, and police quickly spotted a suspect, who ran when he saw the officers. They were pretty sure they had the right guy even though he had changed his shirt. “But he didn’t change his backpack,” said officer Lisa Bender. “So, I think that’s what got him.” That was at least in part because Funzail Woods was wearing “a Pokémon backpack,” Bender said, which “are normally a bright color and typically easy to spot.” (RC/WAGA Atlanta) ...Because a crazed dude running through the woods carrying an axe just isn’t unusual enough to attract police attention.