Story Archive

The Book Was Better

According to police reports, a man walked into a bank in Leipzig, Germany, wearing a mask and carrying a blank gun. He allegedly pointed the gun at staff and demanded they hand over money, forced them to open the time-delayed safe, and waited 25 minutes for the safe to open. He allegedly left with nearly 40,000 Euros (US$44,700). A passerby had seen the man enter the bank and called the police, who were waiting outside to catch him. Police had also located his getaway vehicle: a bicycle, hidden behind an oak tree. It also had a rucksack with his DNA on it. The unidentified man is an author who wrote a novel where the protagonist robbed a bank then fled on a bike and had a change of clothes in a rucksack hidden behind an oak tree. The robber was caught in the novel, too. The real-life suspect was charged with extortion under threat of force, extortionate abduction, and illegally carrying an “alarm” gun. His lawyer said he intends to plead guilty. (MS/Local Germany) ...In the sequel, the protagonist attempts to escape from prison — and fails.