Redding thief gets off on wrong foot after stealing only right shoe of 6 pairs of footwear, police say
For police and the owner of a shoe store in Redding, the burglary was puzzling.
Earlier in the week, someone broke into Redding Sole and took six shoes with an estimated value of $2,400. But the thief didn’t steal complete sets of shoes.
“Only the right shoe from each pair was stolen for unknown reasons,” a police statement read.
The others were left behind.
Two days later, someone tried to break into the same store but eventually gave up and fled on a bicycle.
An officer who responded to the location and had been watching the would-be burglar followed the man and ultimately took him into custody.
Police said the man — who was identified as Matthew Watson, a 29-year-old parolee — was in possession of several burglary tools and a pipe used to smoke meth.
Watson was booked into the Shasta County Jail on charges related to the burglary. A search of his home led to the discovery of the six missing shoes, police said.
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