Raccoon ‘bandits’ break into Georgia sheriff’s office

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. — Deputies in Georgia have investigated their share of break-ins, but this week’s “burglary” hit close to home.

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In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office described “two furry, pint-sized burglary suspects” attempting to break into the back employee entrance of the sheriff’s office in Douglasville, located 22 miles west of downtown Atlanta.

The raccoons, dubbed Earl and Lee by deputies, were quickly apprehended and detained before they entered the building, the sheriff’s office said.

The two rowdy raccoons will be sentenced to a few weeks of “rest and rehab” at a “much more raccoon-friendly environment,” where they will be supervised by veteran animal rehabilitators, the sheriff’s office wrote.

“We fully expect them to ‘bail out’ of the rehab location before the end of the summer,” deputies wrote.

Deputies believe there are two other possible suspects in this Georgia break-in, named Rocket and Ma, who is allegedly the gang’s ringleader.

The two captured raccoons were offered peanuts in exchange for information about the other members, but these two animals were tough nuts to crack.

The sheriff’s office said that if Ma and Rocket are caught, they will be sent to the same rehab center as their partners.

Fortunately, no staff members at the sheriff’s office were injured.

An investigation is ongoing, deputies said.