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Burglar Busted After Leaving Pants, Cell Phone at 7-Eleven

By Aditi Mukherji, JD on August 27, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

In a classic "Doh!" moment, an alleged jewelry burglar in Colorado dumped his pants and cell phone at a 7-Eleven -- a decision that led to arrest, sans pants and loot.

The Bumbling Burglar was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor, including second-degree burglary and theft.

Bungled Burglary

A burglary occurs when a suspect breaks and enters a building with the intent to commit a felony or larceny inside. Most states have axed the actual "breaking" element of burglary, but the suspect and his accomplice kept it traditional by using tools to break through a wall to commit the heist.

The duo allegedly broke into a jewelry store in the wee hours of the morning and took off with 69 high-end watches valued at about $200,000, reports The Denver Post.

When police arrived at the scene, they saw a man fleeing to a 7-Eleven. Behind the Slurpee haven, police found discarded clothing and the pile of watches. And then the priceless moment: They heard a phone ring in a pocket of the abandoned pants.

Whoopsie-doodles, Bumbling Burglar! You really didn't think that one though.

The Smoking Gun Phone

To look through a seized cell phone, officers generally must first obtain a warrant. That's what officers did in this case.

After obtaining a court order to search the phone, officers went through the photos and other information stored in the phone. At about the same time, a man who looked an awful lot like the person in the photos on the phone sauntered up to the 7-Eleven, reports The Post.

They then bought three Big Gulps and chuckled off the whole ordeal.

Just kidding.

The suspected Bumbling Burglar was arrested and all of the watches were recovered. As for his alleged accomplice, police are still looking for him.

Stolen Shiny Stuff

Though the reality of pawnshops might suggest otherwise, even if the swanky watches hadn't been recovered, the prospective recipients of the glitzy goods would have had to return the stolen property.

Alas, you can't keep stolen property -- even if even if it's really shiny and pretty and you had no idea that it was stolen in the first place -- because the person who gave or sold it to you didn't have the legal right to transfer title to you.

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