As realistic as “Grand Theft Auto” looks on a video screen, it wasn’t as interactive as Zachary Burgess hoped. So
Burgess allegedly decided to take matters into his own hands, by
stealing a pickup truck, kidnapping a woman and crashing nine parked
cars, all in an attempt to feel like a character in “Grand Theft Auto,”
according to WDSU-TV. The
real-life crime spree took place early Saturday morning in Baton Rouge,
La., when Burgess, a lacrosse player at Auburn University, was in town
to see his team take on Louisiana State University in football.
Burgess,
20, was in the parking lot of a bar when the owner of a truck drove up
and got out of the truck, leaving it running with a female passenger,
Monique Jiarusso, inside.
At
that point, the suspect got in the vehicle and attempted to flee the
parking lot with the woman, according to Baton Rouge Police Cpl. Don
Coppola.
“When
he tried to flee the parking lot there were several cars blocking the
way,” Cpl. Coppola told NBC33tv.com. “He began ramming into the parked
cars.”
Burgess quickly abandoned the car a few yards from the crime scene and a group of witnesses held him until officers arrived.
The
female passenger told police that Burgess “forcibly” held her captive
in the truck, but she was able to jump out of the vehicle and get to
safety, Coppola said.
When
officers questioned Burgess, they say he explained his rationale for
the alleged theft, kidnapping and attempted hit-and-runs.
“One
of his statements was that, he wanted to see what it was to be a Grand
Theft Auto individual, what it felt like,” said L’Jean McKneely with the
Baton Rouge Police Department told KTRK-TV. “I guess to take a car and
strike several vehicles at a high rate of speed.”
Burgess
was arrested and charged with theft of a motor vehicle, nine counts of
hit and run and simple kidnapping, WWMT-TV reported.
He
was released Sunday after posting $80,000 bond, which Dumb As A Blog
pointed out was a lot more expensive that simply playing “Grand Theft
Auto” on a Playstation.
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