Woman mistakes stuffed toy for crook
The woman was returning late at night to her car in an indoor car park when she saw the suspected brigand through the window of a parked van, says the police.
Armed police went into action in the German city of Wuppertal after a woman reported seeing a masked criminal -- but having rushed to the scene, they were surprised to find not a crook, but a large stuffed toy.
The woman was returning late at night to her car in an indoor car park when she saw the suspected brigand through the window of a parked van, police said on Thursday.
Though she later admitted to only catching a glimpse in the darkness, she was sufficiently alarmed to alert the authorities.
Armed officers arrived in three cars and surrounded the van. What they found was a large toy beaver, strapped into the passenger seat.
A police spokesman said he struggled to see how the toy, which has two oversized front teeth, could have been mistaken for a person.