Crikey, that's a bad excuse!
Three burglary suspects gave three different stories as to why they were inside a Florida home Thursday -- including a tall tale about trying to capture a snake like a famous dead crocodile hunter.
When cops responded to a neighbor's call at 11:30 a.m. that the three were inside the Winter Haven home, 24-year-old Evelyn Belmont was already outside waiting for them, according to WTSP.
Belmont asked police if they knew whether the property was for rent -- but it was clear that she was trying to distract them while her accomplices fled, the station reported.
A K-9 officer yelled out that he was going to release his dog, and Garadis Moultrie and Nathaniel Mitchell -- ages 20 and 21 -- came out with their hands up.
All three gave different improbable stories when questioned about the home invasion, TBO reported.
Moultrie told cops that he was in the area looking to rent a new home for him and his girlfriend. He reportedly noted that he wanted to live in an area with solid law enforcement presence because it would be a safer place to raise a child.
Mitchell allegedly said he was there to buy marijuana from a drug dealer, whom he claimed had stolen his money and ran before handing over the pot. Mitchell claimed he had chased the dealer into the home.
Belmont had the most colorful story. She reportedly said that she was looking for apartments with the other two, and that when she looked in the window of the home in question, she saw a black snake. Luckily, she told officers, Mitchell is "a lot like Steve Irwin" and he always tries to catch snakes. Mitchell and Moultrie had gone inside to wrangle the serpent, she claimed.
The trio was arrested and charged with residential burglary. Belmont and Mitchell were already out on bail for a March 23 incident in which they allegedly snatched a purse from an old woman, WTSP reported.
Steve Irwin, famous for capturing snakes and other reptilian creatures as "The Crocodile Hunter," tragically died in September 2006 when he was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming.
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The Huffington Post | By Andy Campbell Posted: 04/14/2012 12:45 pm Updated: 04/14/2012 12:45 pm