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‘Masked intruder’ raccoon apprehended by Stafford Co. deputies

A masked, furry bandit broke into a Stafford home searching for food early Saturday. (Courtesy Stafford County Sheriff’s Office)

A furry burglar was captured and released by deputies in Stafford County, Virginia, on Saturday morning, after residents reported a raccoon inside their home.

Around 3 a.m. Saturday, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said deputies found no signs of forced entry at the residence located off Novak Drive. But after a second call at 3:36 a.m. deputies discovered a raccoon who’d initially circumvented them.

“Similar to the raccoon character RJ in the animated comedy ‘Over the Hedge,’ a raccoon entered the home to look for food,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Fortunately, this raccoon possessed none of the superpower abilities of Rocket, the anthropomorphic raccoon in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.”

The four-pawed bandit was apprehended by police after they cornered the suspect in the bathroom. Sergeant G.A. Haney and Deputy K.P. Hall avoided use of force and instead “used a ballistic shield, ironing board and bamboo walking sticks to steer him back outside.”

Deputies were compassionate toward the devious mammal and let the suspect walk free in the wild — with no charges. Deputies said this crime would typically result in a felony charge and no bond.

No deputies or animal suspects were injured according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies: Stafford man fired bullets at neighbor unprovoked

A quiet Stafford County, Virginia, neighborhood woke up to gun shots Sunday morning after a man sporadically fired at his neighbor. The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said that neighbor noticed Scott Jones, 52, of Stafford, standing in the middle of Aster Lane just off Bells Hill Road. He went to go check on him at around 8:40 a.m.  
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