Turning up at the front desk of the police station to hand himself in, he was not the usual suspect.
The fugitive did come quietly, though, giving a friendly smile as held out his hands – well, paws.
Chico the one-year-old husky-German shepherd cross wandered into Odessa police station in Texas at 3.30 am after going for a midnight stroll. Sergeant Rusty Martin said: ‘It was as if he decided to pay the kind officers a visit to brighten up their day.’
Chico received plenty of love and attention, he added. ‘We had a tennis ball and threw it in the lobby for a bit. Everyone loved him.’
With his ID tag having fallen off his collar, animal welfare officers were contacted. But Chico wandered off before they arrived and found his own way home.
After police put Chico’s picture on social media, owner Edward Alvarado was contacted by a relative. Unaware Chico had gone missing, he was astonished to find the dog had returned to his backyard. ‘That’s kind of cool,’ Mr Alvarado said. ‘He knows where to go.’