Video credit Columbus Police Department
In a bizarre incident on Tuesday morning, the Columbus Division of Police captured on body cam a man who was arrested with hamsters in his pants after allegedly breaking into a pet store and two other businesses on the city's west side. The body camera video depicting the arrest was released by police.
The incident unfolded when officers responded to a call at Roosters, located at 5225 Nike Station Way near Hilliard, around 3am. Upon arrival, they discovered that the restaurant had been broken into. Video evidence from the scene showed a man with long hair wearing leopard-print pajamas inside the establishment.
Not far from Roosters, a nearby Petland store had also been broken into. Witnesses reported seeing several animals running around in the parking lot. Police managed to recover two dogs, multiple birds, a hamster, and at least two bunnies. Additionally, a Famous Footwear store on Hilliard Rome Road was found to have been broken into as well.
At approximately 4:45am, officers located the suspect, later identified as Matthew Pancake, sleeping on a bench near Big Lots on Roberts Road. The body camera video shows multiple officers surrounding Pancake as he remains asleep on the bench. One officer wakes him up and informs him that he is under arrest for breaking and entering.
As the officers search Pancake, they make a surprising discovery - four hamsters and bedding hidden in his leopard-printed pajamas. Initially mistaken for gerbils, the hamsters were later correctly identified.
"There's multiple gerbils in his pants," one officer can be heard saying in the body camera footage. "Do you have any more gerbils on you?" The officers took pictures of the hamsters before returning them to the store.
Pancake was treated for injuries he sustained during the alleged break-ins before being taken into custody. He now faces charges of breaking and entering and vandalism. Pancake is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Wednesday.
The Columbus Division of Police is continuing its investigation into the motive behind the break-ins and the circumstances surrounding Pancake's peculiar choice of hiding the hamsters in his pants.