WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ― Police found Raymond E. Burdette pushing a shopping cart filled with $775 worth of alcohol and walking near the Tippecanoe County Courthouse, according to West Lafayette police.
At that same time a state trooper was stopping Burdette on the east side of the Wabash River, West Lafayette police were investigating a break-in at the Village Bottle Shop at 148 Howard Ave. after a burglar alarm was triggered, according to police.
Someone triggered the alarm about 2:15 a.m. Tuesday, police said. Officers waited for a key holder to arrive so they could investigate inside the store. They soon had video of the suspect, which matched Burdette, and an Indiana State Police trooper just happened to drive past the courthouse and saw Burdette, police said.
The stolen alcohol was recovered, police said.
Officers jailed Burdette, 52, of the 800 block of North 13th Street in Lafayette, on suspicion of burglary, theft, possession of marijuana, criminal mischief and possession of paraphernalia, according to Tippecanoe County Jail records.
He remained incarcerated Tuesday morning in lieu of bond.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.