It was a lot of work for very little return – especially in light of the fact that the culprit wound up waterlogged – and was then logged into jail.

According to Gadsden Police reports – officers responded to Lowe’s in the 600 block of George Wallace Boulevard at around 9:00pm Monday, after an employee called in a report of a robbery

The suspect was allegedly caught stuffing items into his pocket and when confronted he pushed one employee down and punched him in the face.

During the scuffle the suspect’s t-shirt was torn and a knife fell from his pocket; he then fled the scene and for some reason decided to jump into the Coosa River running behind Lowe’s.

Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Police eventually located the man a short distance away, behind the old K-Mart building; when questioned he had only one of the stolen items still on him with the rest apparently winding up in the river.

(al.com/www.al.com)