Crime & Safety

Water Jug Packed With $750 in Cash Leads to Man's Arrest

'It was a sight that would catch anyone's eye,' police wrote.

A man lugging a five-gallon water jug full of coins and bills dropped the jug as police approached but failed to elude officers and is now charged with housebreaking, according to Prince George's County Police.

Authorities said an officer first spotted the man walking with the jug around 1 p.m. in the 1700 block of Countrywood Ct. in Landover.

"It was a sight that would catch anyone’s eye," the PGPD wrote in a statement.

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When the officer approached the suspect—identified as Demetrius Jerome Coles, 19, of Capitol Heights—he allegedly dropped the jug and ran. Coles was later spotted and detained near a wooded area after a short foot pursuit, police said.

Officers also recovered a flatscreen TV from the surrounding woods and noticed that the front door of a home on Countrywood Court had been kicked in, according to the PGPD. The jug reportedly contained some $750 in cash.

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Police said Coles faces a charge of first-degree breaking and entering plus several other counts.


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