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.
