A Massachusetts man’s attempt to channel Santa Claus went awry Tuesday when he got hopelessly stuck in a chimney while fleeing police during a drug raid.
Robert Langlais, 33, “invoked the essence of the seasonal icon and attempted to hide inside of a chimney” at 127 Canal Street as Community Action & Suppression Team (CAST) detectives executed a search warrant, according to Fall River Police Department. The escape attempt quickly turned into a rescue operation requiring assistance from the very officers he was attempting to evade.
“He went down like Santa Claus,” neighbor Jim Medeiros told WJAR. “I thought, ‘Oh boy, he’s going to get stuck in there for sure.'”
Police bodycam footage captured the incident, with officers initially shouting, “He’s on the roof! Hey! Get down here… show your hands or I’m gonna come up there and grab you.” Officers later located Langlais in the chimney after a tip from a bystander.
Fall River Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services helped extract Langlais, who was taken to a hospital for precautionary evaluation before being charged with possession of Class A and B drugs, along with outstanding warrants. A second suspect successfully “eluded capture by bounding from the roof and onto a parked vehicle,” while police arrested Tanisha Ibay, 32, “with less theatrics” on drug possession charges.
