ASHLAND, Va. (AP) — A masked intruder broke into a Virginia liquor store early Saturday while it was still closed and headed to the bottom shelf, where whiskey was stored. The bandit broke bottles, knocked a tile from the ceiling and left alcohol scattered on the floor.

The suspect acted like an animal because he is, in fact, a raccoon.

A liquor store employee in the Ashland, Virginia, area found the raccoon asleep on the bathroom floor after his drunken Saturday morning.

“Personally, I like raccoons,” said Samantha Martin, an officer who works in animal control. local. "They're funny creatures. He fell down one of the ceiling tiles and went on a rampage, drinking everything."

Martin said he took the raccoon to the animal shelter, although he had his fair share of laughs along the way.

“Another day in the life of an animal control officer, I guess,” he said.

The Hanover County Animal Shelter and Protection praised Martin for handling the raid and confirmed that the raccoon had recovered.

“After a few hours of sleep and no signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life decisions), he was safely released back into the wild, hoping he learned that trespassing is not the right thing to do. solution,” the agency said.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.