Burglary suspect nabbed after getaway vehicle gets stuck in large manure pile

Matthew Bloomquist, 29, was nabbed on a burglary charge after he got stuck in a manure pile during the getaway, investigators said. (Stearns County Sheriff's Office)

A bungling burglar in Minnesota was nabbed after his pickup got stuck in a large pile of foul-smelling manure during the getaway, according to reports.

Matthew Bloomquist, 29, of Hawick, Minn., was found standing on the side of the road, smoking a cigarette, covered in manure from his waist to his feet when deputies arrived to investigate Wednesday morning, according to Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson.

“He was wearing jean shorts over long underwear and no shoes, which the deputies assumed were somewhere in the manure pile,” Gudmundson said Friday in an incident report titled, “Something doesn’t smell right.”

“Obviously this encounter was accompanied by a strong smelling odor,” he said. “Add to that the fair amount of rain we received over the weekend and you have a nice blend.”

Deputies said Bloomquist was caught snatching lumber and other items from a farm shed in Maine Prairie Township.

When the farm owner called to report the overnight burglary, he said surprisingly that the pickup involved was still on the property, stuck in the manure, Gudmundson said.

Deputies said this truck carrying stolen lumber got stuck in a large manure pile during the getaway. (Stearns County Sheriff's Office)

The owner said he saw two men but one managed to run off.

Bloomquist and the other man apparently spent hours trying to free the pickup without success, the sheriff said.

When questioned, Bloomquist told deputies that his “friend” bought the lumber and that he was helping him, according to the sheriff.

Gudmundson said a deputy hosed off Bloomquist before taking him to the jail where he was booked on burglary and possession of stolen property charges.

Bloomquist’s rap sheet included a 2012 burlgary conviction and two arrests for possession of burglary tools, the St. Paul Pioneer-Press reported.

“The trip to the jail was made with the windows open,” Gudmundson said, adding that the deputy’s patrol vehicle still reeked as of Thursday.