Police Catch Felon in Store Cooler

Store owner tried to cover criminal's tracks

A South Side felon thought he had a cool idea for a hiding spot, but it turned out to be cold comfort.

Police arrested Marc Thomas, 34, after they found him in the cooler of a South Side convenience store Monday morning, reports the Sun-Times.

Officials said they responded to reports of a "person with a gun" and spotted Thomas, who fit the suspect's description, walking west on 71st Street.

When police approached Thomas, he threw away a loaded gun and ran, according to Chicago Breaking News.

That's littering!

The officers ran after Thomas and saw him dodge into a convenience store on Paxton Avenue. When they ran in after him however, Thomas was nowhere to be seen.

The business owner, Tarik Falaneh, played it cool and told police no one else was in the store, reports the Sun-Times.

But Thomas' hide-and-seek trick wasn't as good as he hoped. The police spotted him hiding in the locked cooler, which 40-year-old Falaneh refused to open.

Eventually, officials got the cooler open and arrested both Thomas and Falaneh.

Thomas was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon. Falaneh was charged with obstructing an officer.

Matt Bartosik is a Chicago native and a social media sovereign.

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