Trying to steal a stop sign is a good way to find yourself in a world of somewhat-serious legal shit, but a Prescott man didn't stop there. While trying to steal a stop sign, 19-year-old Christopher McCollom managed to hit the trifecta in terms of criminal stupidity.
Ya see, not only did McCollom try to steal a stop sign, he was also driving around drunk when he decided to do so. On top of that, he did it in front of two cops, who were sitting about 50 feet away. Oops.
Around 1:45 a.m. Sunday, Yavapai County sheriff's deputies sat in their cruiser near an intersection in Cornville.
Right in front of them, deputies saw a white Ford truck stop in the middle of Beaverhead Flat Road about 50 feet from the intersection.
Out of the truck popped McCollum, who ran up to a stop sign and started shaking the post to try and get it out of the ground.
When deputies approached McCollum, they listened as he called a friend
to apologize because he was likely going to jail for "stealing a stop
sign in front of the cops."
Oh, how right he was.
McCollum later admitted to police that he had been drinking -- and driving -- and tried to steal the sign.
McCollum was given a breathalyzer test, which showed his blood alcohol content to be .11 -- .03 over the legal limit.
McCollum was arrested for theft, underage drinking, and driving under
the influence. He was booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center on
$1,500 bond and a $15,000 bond from a previous unrelated case.