- A 38-year-old Texas man broke into a dealership by smashing a showroom window.
- The burglar cut himself on the glass and ended up trapped inside the showroom.
- Officers say he could’ve just opened a door that was unlocked from the inside.
If you’re going to break into a car dealership, step one should probably be not calling the cops on yourself. That sounds obvious, but a man in Tyler, Texas, managed to fumble that basic principle in spectacular fashion.
The attempted break-in took place on the evening of Wednesday, March 26. Jeremiah Megallon, a 38-year-old from Mabank, threw a rock through one of the windows of Patterson Dodge and worked his way inside. Unfortunately for him, the thick double-pane glass didn’t go down without a fight. He cut himself during the entry and, once inside, found himself unable to get back out.
Read: North Carolina Dealer Forced To Close After Thieves Steal $200k Worth Of Cars
According to the Tyler Police Department, Magallon called them seeking assistance, alerting the local authorities to his crime. KLTV reports that when police arrived on the scene, they transported Magallon to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was booked into jail and has been charged with burglary of a business. If found guilty, he could face up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A Self-Inflicted Setback
Adding to the list of missteps, police say there was no need for the 911 call in the first place. According to department spokesperson Andy Erbaugh, the showroom’s side doors could have been opened from the inside, even though they were locked from the outside.
Megallon didn’t even manage to steal anything of value. A staff member of the dealership says the only thing he was able to steal was some candy from a salesperson’s desk. Evidently, the Mabank local should have done a little bit of homework before trying to break into the Patterson Dodge facility.
All things considered, this wasn’t exactly a high-level heist. Between the self-inflicted injuries, the unnecessary call to police, and the fact that he could have just used the door, Megallon’s break-in might be more memorable for its failures than its intent. Next time, maybe skip the rock and the window and, if you’re going to commit a crime, at least don’t dial 911 on yourself.