CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) — A man is accused of breaking into a popular Chattanooga restaurant, cooking some chicken wings, stealing a city truck and then driving off, according to a report by WRCB-TV.
Cleveland Police said Evan Elmore was found Saturday morning with a stolen Public Works truck after Chattanooga Police tracked the GPS location. Charges in Chattanooga are pending.
Surveillance video shows Evan Elmore breaking and crawling through a window at Champy's on MLK Boulevard before stealing several thousands of dollars in items and making himself a snack, according to a Chattanooga police report
Elmore cut himself during the break-in. The police report explained he used a condiment bottle to smash through the window.
"He grabs koozies,” owner Seth Champion said while watching the surveillance video. “Watch him shove the koozies in his pockets."
Then the man heads straight for the kitchen, grabs gloves and starts cooking.
"You have chuckle a little bit,” Champion said. “For someone to break into your place, fry chicken in your restaurant, and whip them up some great, world famous wings. You just have to laugh"
You can see the man on camera eating the wings.
But he didn’t just eat. In his 45 minutes inside Champy's, you see him put beer, food, cake, shirts, hats and koozies in a bag.
Portions of the walls are also bare compared to normal. Video shows him taking handfuls of the restaurant’s popular signed dollar bills off the wall.
He also grabs the keys and tries to open empty cash registers.
Then puts all of the items in a trash bag, grabs the to-go box of food and walks out the front door.
It can be frustrating to watch, but more than anything Champion can’t help but laugh.
"I know we have great chicken wings,” Champion laughed. “I just didn't expect anyone to break in to actually cook them, we open at 10:30!”
After the Champy's break-in, Elmore headed to East 11th Street where he stole a Public Works truck, the police report explained. The theft was also caught on camera.
"The suspect was wearing the same clothes and was clearly the same person," the report said.
Using GPS, the truck was located in Cleveland. The report added that officers found Elmore near the truck's location with the keys.
Elmore told officers he got the keys off the table of an apartment he was in as he was leaving, according to the police report. He also said he had not been in the downtown area early Saturday morning.
Inside the stolen truck, officers found items from Champy's and a phone Elmore said belonged to him. There was also blood in the truck and on Elmore's clothes.
Elmore was treated by EMS for the cut he received when he broke into Champy's, the report continued.
Elmore faces charges including felony vandalism and theft over $10,000 in Hamilton County.
He is scheduled to be in court Monday on a drug charge in Bradley County. Cleveland Police said, "a bag of a green leafy substance" was found in Elmore's pocket. Officers believe it was marijuana.