Employees at a Virginia liquor store were shocked Saturday when they arrived at work to find that a raccoon had robbed the store and made its way through the liquor section.
The “masked bandit” was found passed out in the bathroom between the toilet and the trash can, picking up bottles on the bottom shelf.
Animal Control Officer Samantha Martin brought the “suspect” to the Hanover County Animal Shelter for questioning, but not before he had a chance to sober up.
After several hours of sleep and no signs of injury (other than perhaps a hangover), the animal was safely released back into the wild.
The Ashland ABC store was closed for Thanksgiving when it was broken into on Black Friday.
When officers arrived on Saturday, they found broken bottles and puddles of liquor on the floor, including the drink of choice, whiskey.
Officer Martin said the animal fell through one of the ceiling tiles before “going completely berserk and drinking everything.”
There is only one blurry CCTV image of the drunken break-in, so it is unknown how much alcohol the thirsty creature drank before passing out in the bathroom.
In a social media post, the store thanked Hanover County Animal Services and Shelter for its professionalism and providing the visitor with a “sober ride home.”
Officer Martin said it was “just another day in the life of an animal control officer.”
