Crimes feature porcelain chicken, sauce

MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich., April 8 (UPI) -- Michigan police handled two bizarre incidents during the weekend, one involving a porcelain chicken and the other featuring two cans of marinara sauce.

Police in Macomb County said the bizarre cases began Friday when officers responded to a Chesterfield Township home, where a 20-year-old resident said her ex-boyfriend stuffed her into a Christmas tree bag and threatened to shove her into his truck and shoot her before killing himself, The Detroit News reported Monday.

The woman told police the man was distracted when her mother and sister arrived at the home, giving her the chance to strike him in the head with a porcelain chicken.

The man struggled with police but was able to flee on foot. he left his truck, a rifle, a roll of duct tape and his cellphone at the scene, police said. Jonathan Elbers, 23, was arrested Sunday when he was found hiding in a woods about three miles from the crime scene.

Elbers was charged with attempted murder, kidnapping and home invasion.

The second incident took place Saturday at a Fifth-Third Bank branch in Clinton Township. Police said a heavyset woman who appeared to be about 60 years old demanded money from a teller and claimed to be carrying a bomb in her cloth bag.

"It did look like there was a hard object in there," Clinton Township Lt. Eric Reincke said. "But it was folded over so you couldn't see what was inside."

Police said the woman was given money and fled in an older style car being driven by a man, leaving the bag behind.

The bag was X-rayed and investigators discovered it contained two cans of spaghetti sauce.