This suspected criminal was just caught, thanks to a box of Girl Scout cookies
We know that a box of Thin Mints can always save the day, though not necessarily by fighting crime. In this instance, however, our beloved Girl Scout treats acted more like a caped crusader than a binge-worthy snack.
LAist shared the story of how the cookies helped to identify a suspect after a pursuit: on Thurday, police in Hemet, CA, tried to pull a motorcyclist over for a vehicle code violation. The Hemet police department even shared the story on their Facebook page, because they obviously think Girl Scout Cookies are as miraculous as we do.
When the police tried to pull over suspect Joseph Kopff, he didn’t yield; instead, he sped away. He hit roughly 100 miles per hour and managed to get away after officers ended the chase for public safety reasons. However, the police did notice that Kopff threw something into the bushes before they lost him, and went to find it. It turned out to be a box of Thin Mints, with a note attached listing a phone number for the buyer to call if they wanted to purchase more cookies.
The police also received reports of a motorcyclist pulling into a nearby trailer park, where they found Kopff’s vehicle still hot from the speedy getaway, underneath a tarp. This was clearly suspicious, but not quite enough to confirm that Kopff was in fact the cyclist who had evaded officers.
So, the police called the number on the box, and the sales representative confirmed that cookies had recently been sold to a motorcyclist. That representative was able to positively identify Kopff, who was then booked on suspicion of felony reckless evading, speeding, and driving on a suspended license.
If it were up to us, he’d also be charged for wasting a box of Thin Mints- we shudder to think of the cookies going stale if the box is held for evidence. However, we do think it’s pretty rad that Girl Scout Cookies helped fight crime, like the heroes we always knew they were.