And the winner of the "Stupid Criminal" Award goes to...

[jmcclain19]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143589,00.html

All Gas Stations Look Alike
Friday, January 07, 2005

In the annals of really dumb things to do while committing a crime, this is one of the best.

Cops in Poulsbo, Wash., say a 22-year-old man led them on a high-speed chase after holding up a gas station — and then went back to the same gas station to ask for directions.

The unnamed Vancouver, Wash., resident walked into a Chevron (search) station early Christmas morning brandishing a knife, reports the Kitsap Sun.

After cleaning out the till, the robber and a passenger took off in a red Honda, and cops from four towns and sheriff's deputies gave chase.

The caravan zoomed at speeds up to 100 mph through the winding roads of western Puget Sound, where twists and turns can leave even locals disoriented.

After a while, the fugitives managed to lose their pursuers in the darkness, but they had no idea where they were.

So the stickup man pulled into a Chevron station to ask for the way to Seattle, unaware that it was the very same establishment he'd just robbed.


Whether the undoubtedly startled attendants gave him the right directions — they'd involve either a ferry ride or a 50-mile detour through Tacoma (search) — the Kitsap Sun doesn't say.

In any case, the cops caught up to the Honda soon afterward.

The gas-station robber admitted the deed, police said, and also confessed to breaking into a local Blockbuster Video store.

[RedsBaron]

I had read about that. Those guys definitely need to find a new line of work as they seem to lack the expertise for their chosen occupation.