Burglar trapped in roof vent
Would-be burglar gets trapped in vent
THORNTOWN, Indiana - An alleged would-be burglar became trapped in the exhaust vent shaft on the roof of the IGA grocery store in Thorntown Tuesday.
Thorntown Police Department Deputy Chad Clendening said Adam Cooper, 19, of Lebanon became wedged in the shaft while trying to break into the store just before 10 p.m.
"He tried to get in by moving the fan to the side," Clendening said. "I would estimate the shaft where he got stuck was maybe 14 inches by 14 inches."
Police were alerted that there was someone on the roof of the IGA by a man who owns a restaurant across the street.
"We've had trouble with people on the roof of the grocery store before," Clendening said.
When police got on the roof of the store, they noticed the fan had been removed from the vent and clothes scattered about.
"We found a pair of shoes, blue jeans and a sweatshirt," Clendening said.
Upon looking down the vent, officers saw "a pair of hands and the top of this young man's head."
"It was like he was a little canned ham," Clendening said. "He said he was sorry and that he'd tried to break into the store. He just kept saying, `Get me out of here.'"
Officers tried unsuccessfully to pull Cooper out by his arms. Fire and emergency personnel were called in to assist with the extraction.
"The owners of the store couldn't be located, so we had to bust in the back door," Clendening said.
A pipe at the bottom of the shaft made it impossible for Cooper to be freed, so emergency workers went back to the roof.
"We poured cooking oil down to try and help him slide out," Clendening said. "The kid was just sweating and sweating. I had water and was literally pouring it into his mouth."
Little by little, the cooking oil helped rescue workers move Cooper up the shaft.
"Every time he moved up, they put blocks under his feet to give him leverage to push up," Clendening said.
Toward the end, a looped rope was lowered to Cooper so he could grab it and pull himself out.
"Once he was out, be basically collapsed," Clendening said.
Cooper complained of shoulder and ankle pain. He was taken to Witham Hospital in Lebanon where he was treated and released.
"He originally gave us a false name," Clendening said. "We realized that when we took him to the hospital."
After he was released from the hospital, Cooper was arrested on charges of Class C felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal mischief and false informing. He was lodged at the Boone County Jail, where he remained Wednesday. His bond was set at $10,000 surety.
Clendening said Cooper had been stuck in the shaft for about 45 minutes before he was located, and that it took another hour to free him.
"I was happy we were alerted that (Cooper) was up on the roof and in trouble," Clendening said. "Otherwise we would have been finding someone dead there this morning."
THORNTOWN, Indiana - An alleged would-be burglar became trapped in the exhaust vent shaft on the roof of the IGA grocery store in Thorntown Tuesday.
Thorntown Police Department Deputy Chad Clendening said Adam Cooper, 19, of Lebanon became wedged in the shaft while trying to break into the store just before 10 p.m.
"He tried to get in by moving the fan to the side," Clendening said. "I would estimate the shaft where he got stuck was maybe 14 inches by 14 inches."
Police were alerted that there was someone on the roof of the IGA by a man who owns a restaurant across the street.
"We've had trouble with people on the roof of the grocery store before," Clendening said.
When police got on the roof of the store, they noticed the fan had been removed from the vent and clothes scattered about.
"We found a pair of shoes, blue jeans and a sweatshirt," Clendening said.
Upon looking down the vent, officers saw "a pair of hands and the top of this young man's head."
"It was like he was a little canned ham," Clendening said. "He said he was sorry and that he'd tried to break into the store. He just kept saying, `Get me out of here.'"
Officers tried unsuccessfully to pull Cooper out by his arms. Fire and emergency personnel were called in to assist with the extraction.
"The owners of the store couldn't be located, so we had to bust in the back door," Clendening said.
A pipe at the bottom of the shaft made it impossible for Cooper to be freed, so emergency workers went back to the roof.
"We poured cooking oil down to try and help him slide out," Clendening said. "The kid was just sweating and sweating. I had water and was literally pouring it into his mouth."
Little by little, the cooking oil helped rescue workers move Cooper up the shaft.
"Every time he moved up, they put blocks under his feet to give him leverage to push up," Clendening said.
Toward the end, a looped rope was lowered to Cooper so he could grab it and pull himself out.
"Once he was out, be basically collapsed," Clendening said.
Cooper complained of shoulder and ankle pain. He was taken to Witham Hospital in Lebanon where he was treated and released.
"He originally gave us a false name," Clendening said. "We realized that when we took him to the hospital."
After he was released from the hospital, Cooper was arrested on charges of Class C felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal mischief and false informing. He was lodged at the Boone County Jail, where he remained Wednesday. His bond was set at $10,000 surety.
Clendening said Cooper had been stuck in the shaft for about 45 minutes before he was located, and that it took another hour to free him.
"I was happy we were alerted that (Cooper) was up on the roof and in trouble," Clendening said. "Otherwise we would have been finding someone dead there this morning."
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They should have left him there. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by gearheaddad
They should have left him there.
Nah. If you ever have experienced the stench of a rotting rodent corpse, you wouldn't want to have to deal with a dead human stuck in a ventilation shaft.0 -
He's lucky the cook didn't come in and fire up the french fry machine and turn on that big oven vent. 0 -
Just leave him in there till morning. Give him time to think. Then they would have daylight when making the rescue. Also wouldn't have to bust down the back door. 0
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