Ohio man wearing leopard-print onesie is arrested with hamsters in his pocket after series of bizarre break-ins
Police have arrested a suspect suspected of breaking into multiple stores in Hilliard, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
Matthew Pancake, 31, was wearing a leopard print onesie when he was taken from a shopping mall by a thief on Tuesday morning.
According to police, Pancake “smashed the glass of the front door of a Famous Footwear store” just after 2 a.m. WSYX reported.
He is also accused of breaking into a Roosters restaurant and a Petland, the latter of which could explain what police found in his pockets when he was arrested.
Two hamsters were hidden in the pockets of Pancake’s onesie. Later, an officer was photographed holding the furry little creatures.
Matthew Pancake, 31, is seen sleeping on a bench less than a mile from the pet store shortly after it was allegedly broken into
A Columbus police officer is seen holding the two hamsters found in Pancake’s pockets
After Pancake allegedly broke into the shopping center on Hilliard-Rome Road, police found merchandise from the three stores strewn across the sidewalks outside.
Apparently the police were one step behind their suspect. They got the call about the Petland break-in while they were still investigating what had happened at Roosters.
“My officers who were nearby at Petland observed several animals running around in the parking lot,” said Sergeant Joe Albert of the Columbus Police Department.
“Officers were able to round up as many animals as possible. They rounded up several rabbits, birds… and a couple of puppies,” he added.
Police were able to rescue the hamsters from Pancake’s pockets and return them safely to the pet store.
According to one of the owners of Petland, several dog kennels in the store were smashed with a rock, allowing the dogs to roam freely for a while.
Pancake was charged with vandalism and burglary. His first court appearance is Wednesday morning
A bird that escaped from the store after the break-in sits on a police officer’s shoulder
Another bird was captured outside in the pet store parking lot
After reportedly escaping from jail, Pancake was found sleeping in his onesie near the parking lot of Big Lots, less than a mile away from the pet store.
Police bodycam footage obtained by 10TV There were officers who approached him while he was sleeping on the couch.
Then they pulled him to the ground and woke him from his sleep.
“In the name of the law, get on your stomach, Pancake!” one of the officers yelled at him as they tried to push him flat onto the concrete.
“What’s going on?” Pancake asked. “Are you kidding, what the f**k?”
He then asked why he was being arrested, and the officers immediately explained it to him.
The group of officers who arrest Pancake giggle when they find the hamsters in the pockets of his unusual gear
Pancake is depicted on the back of a police car
As they explained, one of the officers noticed something moving in the suspect’s pocket.
They all burst out laughing when they realized what they had found.
“There are multiple desert rats in his pants,” one officer said in disbelief.
This unusual case, more than anything else, made Albert realize the complexity of his work.
“You can respond to a shooting in the same day, you can respond to a missing person, you can save someone’s life, and you can chase rabbits through the parking lot of a business that’s just been broken into,” the officer added.
Pancake was charged with vandalism and burglary.
His first court hearing is Wednesday morning.