A suspected church thief was arrested in Balch Springs after attempting to evade capture by hiding in a trash bin, police said Monday.
According to a social media post from Balch Springs police, officers responded to an alarm at a church on Bruton Road. Upon arrival, they spotted a U-Haul truck quickly driving away, filled with stolen items. As the truck sped toward Mesquite, some of the stolen goods fell out, prompting two of the three suspects to exit the vehicle.
One of the suspects, dubbed "Oscar the Grouch" by police, tried to hide in a blue trash bin near a basketball hoop in a Mesquite neighborhood. A photo posted by the Balch Springs Police Department shows the suspect struggling to get out of the trash bin after realizing it wasn’t the best hiding place.
Police commended several Mesquite residents who helped by following and recording one of the suspects. Authorities were able to recover stolen music equipment and a ladder, but the two other suspects remain at large.
