Squirrel Mistaken For Burglar, Dog Toy After Breaking Into Stafford Home: Police

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A squirrel is suspected to be responsible for a burglary in Stafford on Wednesday, according to a report from the sheriff's office. The squirrel is still at large.

Around 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office received a report of a burglary at a home in the southern end of the county. A homeowner told the responding deputy that her alarm sounded, indicating that there was motion in the kitchen. The homeowner then found trash all over the floor in the kitchen, according to the police report.

The deputy inspected the outside of the home, but did not see any sign of forced entry. Inside the home, the deputy found animal droppings, scattered trash, and claw marks on some furniture.

"A deeper inspection of the squirrelly situation revealed a tail and leg, of what the deputy thought was a dog toy, protruding from under the sofa," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. "When Deputy Ludolph moved the couch, the dog toy turned out to be a squirrel."

Animal control responded to assist, but the squirrel evaded capture, authorities said. Deputies asked the homeowner to notify them if the animal returns.

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