The deputies responded to a breaking and entering call at the golf course. They dismounted and cautiously approached on foot, surprising the suspects as they were loading the last of their loot. Desparate to escape, the suspects gunned their pickup truck and drove straight at one deputy, trying to run him over. The deputy dove out of the way and fired four shots at the fleeing vehicle, disabling it. The suspects fled on foot but were caught by other deputies a few minutes later. The stolen goods were recovered...
Returnable beverage cans.
From my hometown paper, the Allegan (MI) County News:
"This was the fourth similar burglary at the golf course. Police believe [the suspects] were responsible for the three preceding ones.
The suspects kicked in the door to a shed attached to the clubhouse. On a previous burglary, $450 worth of returnable cans were stolen."
--Allegan County News, June 19, 2003, p. 3
At 10 cents per can, that's 4,500 cans! And since you can't return the cans if they're crushed, that's a lot of space. Although the theft is unusual, it's not unheard of:
"'When you steal something, you would typically get 10 cents on the dollar for what it's worth at a fence,' [Sheriff's Department Lt. Ron] Johnston said. 'With these, they're readily convertible into cash.'"
Well, sure, but if you were a store clerk, wouldn't you think it just a bit suspicious if someone tried to return 4,500 cans? And what's up with the golf course being robbed of that many cans (I'm guessing) three times? You'd think they'd have learned their lesson by now.
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