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CNN Saturday Morning News
Police in St. Louis Looking for "The Clown Bandit"
Aired January 31, 2004 - 07:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Police in St. Louis are looking for a man they've dubbed "The Clown Bandit." Wonder how he got that nickname? Let's just say it wasn't for the way he was dressed.
We get the story now from Len Turner of CNN affiliate KTVI.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON KEILHOLZ, ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE: He busted this entire glass out and climbed through here, dropped down.
LEN TURNER, KTVI CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): St. Louis County Detective Ron Keilholz showing us how the crook got in. A liquor store surveillance tape picks up the story from there. At the right of your screen, the suspect making a run for the booze. But just off camera, he slams face first into a door.
KEILHOLZ: Once he gets the door open and he comes through out into the main front area here.
TURNER: And once inside, the crook's bad luck gets worse. Watch the center of your screen this time, as the suspect screeches in but slips and falls. Let's see it again, the bumbling burglar losing his balance. Even the store's manager can't help but laugh at this tape.
JOHN PICKARD, STORE MANAGER: I've been doing this for a lot of years. I have to say, this is the dumbest criminal I have ever had to deal with, beyond the shadow of a doubt.
TURNER: And there's more. The burglar grabbing a nudie magazine, some cigarettes, then bagging up his own loot. But he quickly realizes this window he came in is too high to get out with the goods. So, he throws all of this stolen stuff out the window and most of it breaks on this dumpster outside.
KEILHOLZ: He actually left everything behind. Once he realized that everything was saturated with the liquor, he left everything behind.
TURNER: And, of course, he also left behind these memorable pictures, a surveillance tape police hope gets some laughs, but also helps them get their man.
KEILHOLZ: Outside of the seriousness of the offense, the tape was really comical. I mean it, there was definitely some humor in it, just the way that he had planned the whole thing, was not a whole lot of forethought. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Brilliant.
If he's caught, the bumbling burglar could get five years in prison and possibly a contract to be Chevy Chase's stunt double.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 31, 2004 - 07:49 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Police in St. Louis are looking for a man they've dubbed "The Clown Bandit." Wonder how he got that nickname? Let's just say it wasn't for the way he was dressed.
We get the story now from Len Turner of CNN affiliate KTVI.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RON KEILHOLZ, ST. LOUIS COUNTY POLICE: He busted this entire glass out and climbed through here, dropped down.
LEN TURNER, KTVI CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): St. Louis County Detective Ron Keilholz showing us how the crook got in. A liquor store surveillance tape picks up the story from there. At the right of your screen, the suspect making a run for the booze. But just off camera, he slams face first into a door.
KEILHOLZ: Once he gets the door open and he comes through out into the main front area here.
TURNER: And once inside, the crook's bad luck gets worse. Watch the center of your screen this time, as the suspect screeches in but slips and falls. Let's see it again, the bumbling burglar losing his balance. Even the store's manager can't help but laugh at this tape.
JOHN PICKARD, STORE MANAGER: I've been doing this for a lot of years. I have to say, this is the dumbest criminal I have ever had to deal with, beyond the shadow of a doubt.
TURNER: And there's more. The burglar grabbing a nudie magazine, some cigarettes, then bagging up his own loot. But he quickly realizes this window he came in is too high to get out with the goods. So, he throws all of this stolen stuff out the window and most of it breaks on this dumpster outside.
KEILHOLZ: He actually left everything behind. Once he realized that everything was saturated with the liquor, he left everything behind.
TURNER: And, of course, he also left behind these memorable pictures, a surveillance tape police hope gets some laughs, but also helps them get their man.
KEILHOLZ: Outside of the seriousness of the offense, the tape was really comical. I mean it, there was definitely some humor in it, just the way that he had planned the whole thing, was not a whole lot of forethought. (END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Brilliant.
If he's caught, the bumbling burglar could get five years in prison and possibly a contract to be Chevy Chase's stunt double.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
