Hardware Store Owner Nabs Robber Armed With Bolt Cutters - News Story - WISC Madison

I always knew crooks were dumb but this takes the cake

Hardware Store Owner Nabs Robber Armed With Bolt Cutters - News Story - WISC Madison: "The latest attempt involved a man wielding a pair of bolt cutters as a weapon, WISC-TV reported. Police have arrested Benjamin Weber, 29, in connection with the attempted robbery that occurred Thursday afternoon. True Value hardware store owner Scott Novotny said that the suspect looked suspicious and was 'not in the right mind' as he approached the counter. Novotny said that Weber set down a pair of bolt cutters and a long screwdriver. Novotny said that he asked him if he needed anything else. As Novotny turned to the cash register, Weber allegedly demanded cash. When Novotny said, 'No,' Weber allegedly lifted his shirt over his head in a misguided attempt to conceal his identity and then picked up the bolt cutters and tried to hit Novotny. 'I grabbed it after it hit me and then I took off and ran around the counter, and we caught him before he got out the door,' Novotny said. Novotny's son, Shane, was watching the attack unfold from a surveillance camera downstairs. He ran up the stairs and helped tackle the would-be robber, WISC-TV reported. Madison Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain said that authorities discourage people from trying to apprehend suspects. 'You never know if the person's mentally ill, if they're on drugs, if they migh"