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.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

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