This also highlights just one more disadvantage of those new plasma sets - too thin to hide yourself or your stash.
Posted on 01/20/2005 6:56:52 PM PST by bwteim
A Decatur County deputy’s sharp observational skills helped law enforcement officials catch a man hiding inside a TV early Friday, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
After officers from the Sheriff’s Department arrived at a mobile home to help search for a suspect, one of them found Richard Alford Blane, 45, of Ponce DeLeon, Fla., hiding inside an old television set. Blane, who is approximately 6 feet tall and weighs about 140 pounds, was wanted in Walton County, Fla., for burglary, theft, possession of methamphetamine, escape, battery on a law enforcement officer, petty theft, resisting an officer with violence and failure to appear in court.
Deputy Efrain Beltran found the suspect shortly before 1 a.m. Friday during a search of a mobile home at the Campus Colony trailer park on Highway 84 near Bainbridge College, Capt. Gale Bowyer of the Decatur Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.
Officers from the Walton County Sheriff’s Department, the Thomas County, Ga., Sheriff’s Department and the Thomasville, Ga., Police Department were also at the scene looking for Blane, said Bowyer, who leads the crime scene and investigations units at the department. An acquaintance of Blane who owned the mobile home had gave permission for the officers to search and told them the suspect was in a bedroom. However, an initial search of the residence by officers and a K-9 unit from the Thomasville PD was fruitless.
While looking around in the bedroom with the overhead lights turned on, Deputy Beltran observed a screwdriver lying on top of an old television, Capt. Bowyer said. The deputy had a hunch something was amiss and began shining his flashlight behind the television. He then observed human skin behind one of the small holes commonly found on older model floor television sets.
The officers told Blane to remove himself from the TV and he slowly crawled out of his curled-up position, whereupon he was arrested by Beltran.
An inspection of the TV revealed Blane had obviously put some considerable thought and effort into creating his hiding space, Capt. Bowyer said. All the parts had been stripped out and most of the picture tube had been removed. A makeshift handle had been attached to the television screen so that Blane could crawl inside and pull the screen back into place, Bowyer said.
The Florida and Thomasville-area officers came to Bainbridge to look for Blane after the trail of leads led from Thomasville to here, Bowyer said. A tip and a vehicle description led them to believe Blane was probably staying at the mobile home. Bowyer and Investigator Julian Crowder were preparing a search warrant request at the Sheriff’s Office when deputies at the scene called and said Blane’s friend had exited the home and given permission for them to search the home.
Bowyer and Crowder went to the scene to help search. It didn’t take long for them to canvass the home but the search continued because officers felt sure it was impossible for Blane to have exited while the house was surrounded earlier. The search dog took notice of the television set more than once, but, at the time, officers didn’t suspect anything unusual about it, Bowyer said.
This also highlights just one more disadvantage of those new plasma sets - too thin to hide yourself or your stash.
just...
damn.
Old time technology ping....
Surprising the k9 unit didn't find him....but not all dogs watch tv
LOL, I was wondering the same thing when I first read it.
Of course, a TV set would not be the first place one would look. I was searching on hiding places in conjunction with arrests. This TV set might rank among the more unusual hiding hole for the *devious* criminal mind - most seem to prefer closets, cardboard boxes, sofas, cars, campers, cedar chest, and even occasional water bed.
Hey, Mabel! The clicker isn't working. I keep trying to change the channel but this jerk is on every station.
Lamar - you big dummy!
LOL. Gives meaning to the term "boob" tube.
Looks like he hurt himself scrambling inside.
HA! Pretty funny.
I took it to mean that the officer saw this guy namely by seeing his skin on the other side of the ventilation holes rather than by seeing skin peelings.
It's too bad they didn't stand there and start talking about
taking the set to the range and using it for a target.
"Man! I love to put one right in the ole picture tube,
those things explode in a cloud of flying GLASS!"
Heheh, that TV set would have taken off walking on two legs in a hurry.
That would make more sense than the way I read it.
LOL
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