Two 7-foot-tall cow costumes created for Chick-Fil-A were stolen in separate burglaries from the Redlands restaurant's storage earlier this year, police found them advertised online and arrested a suspect the day before Halloween, a city spokesman said Tuesday.
Police "contacted the seller after seeing one of the distinctive 7-foot costumes made to represent the restaurant's trademark cow mascots for sale on Craigslist last week," Redlands spokesman Carl Baker said in a statement Nov. 5.
"The officer indicated on the phone with the seller that he was interested in buying the bovine attire as a Halloween costume," Baker said. "When the seller told the officer that he had two for sale for $350 apiece, the officer replied that it would make the perfect his-and-hers costumes for him and his wife."
The officer arranged to meet the seller at an apartment complex in the 2600 block of East Highland Avenue in San Bernardino on Oct. 30, Baker said.
Police arrested Robert Michael Trytten, 43, of Riverside, "when he produced the rustled cow costumes for the undercover officer," Baker said.
The costumes were valued by the restaurant at $2,800 apiece, according to police. Officers also recovered a pop-up canopy stolen from the restaurant. All property was returned to the business.
Trytten remained locked up Tuesday Nov. 5 at Central Detention Center on suspicion of possessing stolen property. His bail was listed as $275,000.
Anyone with more info was urged to call Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681. Anonymous tipsters can text 274637 using the keyword "REDTIP."
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