Man loses pants during bar heist
By MATT MANNING
Staff writer
FREMONT -- A "magician" who lost both his pants and his teeth during a chase from a register heist early Thursday morning apparently couldn't make the register he stole disappear.
Daniel Dean Harlan, 43, of Santa Monica, Calif., was charged with breaking and entering, vandalism and safe cracking after a 2:20 a.m. incident at Legendz bar on Fifth Street, Fremont police said.
According to Legendz co-owner Misty Lee, Harlan "couldn't open the cash drawer, so he stole the whole thing." The destroyed register contained $241.
Harlan left the then-closed bar with the register heading into the parking lot, where he smashed the machine against the pavement, spilling the money.
Several people saw Harlan looking for something in the vicinity and asked if they could help, Lee said. Once they realized what Harlan had done, they notified Legendz employees, and a chase ensued.
Two people were chasing after him outside the bar when his pants dropped below his knees, causing him to fall face first onto the ground.
"He completely landed on his face. It was very obvious that he lost his teeth," Lee said.
Police quickly arrived and caught the disoriented suspect, who exclaimed, "Don't rob me!" toward the police, Lee said.
She recognized the suspect as a regular, especially on weekends. The bar co-owner believed Harlan spent some time in Las Vegas prior to coming to Fremont, where his parents live.
Harlan also had been performing magic tricks for the bar customers during the night. His friend who was with him fell asleep in a van outside the bar after being kicked out for being disruptive.
He was treated at Memorial Hospital before being taken to the Sandusky County Jail. His bond was set at $10,000.
Lee said the funny thing was, he waited until the end of a busy night when people are leaving