‘Burglar’ deer on the loose after bursting through school window, New Hampshire cops say
A “burglar” deer is on the loose after bursting through a window of a New Hampshire elementary school, police said.
The culprit even left behind one of its five point antlers.
A sketch of the “four legged suspect” wearing a black burglar mask was posted by police after a report of a burglary from a local resident who noticed a smashed front window at Barnstead Elementary School, the Barnstead Police Department said in a Nov. 28 news release.
The ten point buck was found inside the school’s lobby and firefighters were called for backup to capture it.
However, police said, “the suspect escaped as he crashed through a second window.”
One officer tried to chase down the deer — but “in the blink of an eye the suspect was gone.”
“Police believe that the Buck is part of an organized crime group breaking into buildings in New Hampshire,” the department said.
Earlier in the day, police in Goffstown, roughly 30 miles away, responded to a buck that entered an auto repair shop but “the suspect got away.”
Barnstead officers said they will be working with their Goffstown counterparts “to try to match hoof prints, surveillance and booking photos to see if this is the same suspect from the Goffstown burglary or another member of this organized crime group.”
Photos released from the scene of the unexpected school break-in show shattered glass scattered along the floor.
The deer’s five point antler that was left behind will be sent “to the crime lab to check for DNA,” police said jokingly.
Authorities plan to keep the public posted on their antlered suspect that “has not been captured” as of Nov. 29, a police spokesperson told McClatchy News in a statement.
Chief Paul Poirier recently held a briefing with his officers and “they are actively out canvassing the area.”
Authorities lifted the deer’s hoof print from the school and it will be sent through the Automated Fingerprint Identification System “to see if this suspect has been arrested before or is wanted,” according to the spokesperson.
“Police hope to capture the suspect soon as Barnstead is heavily populated with avid hunters who take pride in the school system,” they said.
“Intelligence information coming into the police department through confidential sources indicate that vigilante hunters are starting to round up and go looking for the suspect themselves,” the spokesperson added.
Officers “would rather see a much more peaceful ending. “
This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 1:22 PM with the headline "‘Burglar’ deer on the loose after bursting through school window, New Hampshire cops say."
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