Workers at an auto body shop in Akron, Ohio, caught an alleged thief in a creative way, and police are thankful for their help.
The business, identified as Arlington Autos, was fed up after several break-ins occurred on the property, so when employees got a chance to remedy the problem they did what they had to do, WLWT reported Thursday.
The moment 26-year-old Alexander Funk allegedly tried to break into a car parked in its lot, the workers used a forklift to nab him.
Video footage shows the small black SUV suspended several feet in the air by the forklift while the suspect was still inside it:
Body camera footage shows the moment a policeman explains to fellow law enforcement officers what happened, and they appear quite amused by the story.
“He broke into a car at the junkyard, and before he could get out, he’s done it before, they got like the forklift and they had him, I’m not kidding, like 20 feet off the ground,” he said.
The officers were shocked and one of them laughed when he learned what happened.
“So when we got there, he went right into custody,” the officer continued.
According to the WLWT article, the business’ employees had spotted Funk there in the past and wanted to keep him from coming around again.
In a social media post October 25, 106.3 The Fox shared still images of the scene and called it “a ‘Stupid Criminal Story.'”
“Employees called 911, and the dispatcher laughed when they explained the situation, and said ‘That is the greatest thing I’ve ever heard,'” the radio station’s post read:
Social media users were quick to offer their thoughts on the report, one person writing, “They were just helping him get high.”
Another person said the workers’ idea was “Genius!”
Officers arrested the suspect for criminal trespassing and possessing criminal tools. The WLWT report also noted, “Funk had been previously been charged with drug abuse and entering a condemned building.”