Police: Four tried to take Chili's pepper

BENNINGTON, Vt., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Police in Vermont said they arrested four people attempting to steal the giant pepper from the top of a Chili's restaurant.

Bennington police said the alarm at the restaurant went off at 4:30 a.m. Sunday and officers arrived to find one person on the roof of Chili's, two people hiding in the bushes and one person running away, the Rutland Herald reported Tuesday.

Susan Michet, 22, Asher Woodworth, 23, Claire Davis, 22, and Sophia Giordano, 22, were arrested and charged with grand larceny.

Sgt. Camillo Grande said a police officer "asked if the attempted theft was part of a scavenger hunt or other series of pranks police should watch out for and was told it was a spur of the moment act."

"They really didn't plan it," he said. "One of their friends had an eye on the chili and they got together last night and decided they were going to get it for the friend."

Police said the suspects had plugged 470 feet of extension chord into an outlet across the street from Chili's to power a drill they used to remove the bolts keeping the pepper in place.