Mays Landing, NJ Man Caught Shoplifting in Possession of a Baby Deer, Drugs

What the fawn?! A man wanted for suspected shoplifting at a grocery store in Ocean County, New Jersey was discovered to be in possession of not only drugs but a baby deer, too.

What did a baby deer do to deserve THIS? Where’s its mother? How’d this guy manage to grab it? I have so many questions. But never mind the one about its mother. I probably don’t want to know.

via GIPHY

Man Caught Shoplifting in Manahawkin, NJ with Baby Deer in Tow

Patch.com reports police in Stafford Township say a man they stopped on June 1st for suspected shoplifting at the Route 72 Shoprite in Manahawkin was caught in possession of narcotics…and a fawn. Yes, an ACTUAL live deer, not a stuffed animal.

After officers responded to investigate the shoplifting claim and talk with the 23-year-old suspected thief, they noticed the man holding a shopping bag containing a baby deer. The man ran away and fled the scene in an effort to avoid being detained, but police caught up with him and placed him under arrest.

Mays Landing, NJ Arrested, Charged with Illegally Possessing Baby Deer

In addition to having a bizarre shoplifting accomplice, the fawn, Matthew Keithley of Mays Landing also reportedly had suspected crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia on his person.

According to Patch.com, the fawn was returned to the wild where Keithley found it, though Stafford Twp. Police have not said exactly where that was or how long he’d been keeping it as a pet.

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Not that it makes it right, but I’d like to think maybe he was stealing food to feed the animal?

No matter. Keithley now faces numerous charges, including possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest by flight, providing false information to a law enforcement officer, and illegal possession of a deer. He’s reportedly in custody in the Ocean County Jail.

You can't make this sh*t up.

Maybe he should have read this list of animals that are illegal to keep as pets in New Jersey.