Only in America: The burglar who called 911 on his victim
A man asks Portland police for help, saying he broke into a house and is afraid the resident might shoot him
The story: Breaking into the house was the easy part for a suspected burglar in Portland, Ore. The hard part was getting back out. The suspect, Timothy James Chapek, was in the bathroom, showering, when the homeowner returned, apparently unexpectedly. With two German shepherds at his side, the resident asked the intruder what he was doing in the house. Chapek then locked himself in the bathroom and called 911, afraid the homeowner might have a gun, according to Portland police. When officers arrived, they arrested Chapek.
The reaction: File this one in the folder marked "stupid criminals," says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. Even in America, which practically invented boneheaded crimes, calling the cops on yourself is one for the books. Well, Portland has more than its share of liberals, says Maggie at Weasel Zippers, so it's not really shocking that it also has "antiwar peace-loving criminals." As it turns out, the homeowner was not armed, says Katla McGlynn at The Huffington Post, just scared — she dialed 911, too. Sounds like this bungling burglar should find a new line of work.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Roasted squash and apple soup recipeThe Week Recommends Autumnal soup is full of warming and hearty flavours
-
Ukraine: Donald Trump pivots againIn the Spotlight US president apparently warned Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accept Vladimir Putin’s terms or face destruction during fractious face-to-face
-
Autumn Budget: will Rachel Reeves raid the rich?Talking Point To fill Britain’s financial black hole, the Chancellor will have to consider everything – except an income tax rise