Pennsylvania man flees, then summons police

Robert Saldon, 50, of Somerset County, Pennsylvania, reported his truck stolen on Thanksgiving night.

When police arrived, they took him into custody.

Why?

According to this AP story posted late yesterday on Yahoo! News, Conemaugh Township police pulled Saldon over earlier that night because of a broken taillight on his truck. Saldon got out of his truck, but didn't wait for a ticket -- he ran away.

When Saldon got home, he shaved off his mustache and changed clothes. Then he called police and reported that his truck had been stolen.

Apparently, there aren't that many officers working for the Conemaugh Township Police Department, particularly on holiday evenings, so the same officer who was left in the dust at the traffic stop was dispatched to take the report.

He was not fooled by Mr. Saldon's disguise.

Kirk Swauger's story for the Johnstown, Pennsylvania Tribune-Democrat provides a possible explanation for Saldon's behavior.

According to Swauger's story, Saldon had been arrested for DUI on a couple of prior occasions; he may not have been entirely sober on this occasion either. Swauger reports that Saldon was charged with drunken driving and escape, and also "with illegally operating a vehicle without a court-required ignition interlock system to stop habitual drunk drivers; resisting arrest; careless driving and two summary violations."

Oh, and another reason why the disguise didn't work? When Saldon shaved, there remained a "pale outline of the just-removed facial hair on his wind-reddened face."