Raccoon breaks into Ashland liquor store, ransacks shelves, found passed out drunk in bathroom

A raccoon in Virginia made an unexpected appearance at a local liquor store on Friday night, indulging in a chaotic spree that involved ransacking shelves, breaking bottles, and consuming vast quantities of alcohol before passing out drunk in the store’s bathroom.  ABC News shared that, according to the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, employees found the “masked bandit” collapsed in the bathroom of the liquor store Saturday morning, where the furry burglar had made a massive mess and drank multiple types of alcohol.

The bizarre incident occurred at the ABC Liquor Store in Ashland, where employees arrived Saturday morning to discover the aftermath of the raccoon’s nocturnal escapade. The masked bandit somehow made his way into the store’s ceiling and crashed through a ceiling tile – landing near the whiskey section inside of the store.

Samantha Martin, an officer with local animal control, shared her thoughts on the raccoon’s rampage:

“I personally like raccoons. They are funny little critters. This one fell through a ceiling tile and went on a full-blown rampage, drinking everything.”

Ms. Martin said she took the raccoon back to the animal shelter, though she had her fair share of giggles along the way.  ~ MSN

Martin managed to secure the still drunken raccoon and safely transported it to the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter, who commended her for handling the break-in, and confirmed the raccoon had sobered up.

According to The Associated Press, “After a few hours of sleep and zero signs of injury (other than maybe a hangover and poor life choices), he was safely released back to the wild, hopefully having learned that breaking and entering is not the answer,” said a spokesperson for the Hanover County Animal Protection and Shelter.

The raccoon’s wild night has captured the public’s imagination, and memes of the ‘drunken bandit’ are spreading across social media. ‘Maybe he was just trying to have a good time,’ joked one Twitter user, while others have suggested it might be time to install raccoon-proof security at liquor stores across Virginia.”

This unexpected mishap serves as a reminder of the often unpredictable and curious nature of wildlife. As one local resident put it, “I guess the raccoon found the good stuff!” For more on the “Boozy Bandit,” see the video accompanying this article.

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Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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