Burglar 'turns out to be a duck'

A frantic Massachusetts woman called police Saturday night after hearing banging noises in her home. Police rushed to the scene, only to find no signs of a break-in. They did, however, find — as The Associated Press so elegantly puts it — "a soot-covered wood duck."

"It sounded like someone was in the house going through all of our things," Melinda Costanzo of North Reading told The Daily Mail. "I was convinced someone was in the house. I was trembling." Costanzo can sleep easier tonight knowing water fowl were the only intruders in her home.

The officers concluded that the duck had flown in through the chimney. Luckily, the bird was forgiven of its crimes — according to The Associated Press, "an officer caught the duck and released it into a nearby pond."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up