Fake license plates drawn with crayons might not be the best way to avoid a cop encounter

I've heard it said that criminals get caught becasue the majority of them are far from being masterminds. Welp:

From USA Today:

Indiana state troopers almost calleda tow truck forJoshua Anthony Lewis-Brown, 20, before identifying him as a suspected car thief Friday.

By checking the Toyota Corolla's vehicle identification number, the troopers determined the car's owner had reported it stolen from State College, Pennsylvania, about 400 miles away. The owner had left the car running to keep it warm while he shopped at a grocery store, the Indiana troopers said in a statement. The car was missingwhen he returned Thursday.

If he'd just used card stock and a Sharpie, he might have gotten away from it. Always spend the money on the right materials for the job. Obviously once the troopers saw that the Brown's license plate was nothing more than a low-rent arts and crafts project (although, admittedly, he was able to drive 400 miles with his fake plates without anyone noticing) they arrested him on a felony charge of possessing stolen property.

I come from one of the colder parts of the world. A lot of folks leave their vehicles running in the winter time, unattended, in an effort to keep them warmthat the oil and gas industry supporters leave their rides idling here, year-round is a whole different load of bullshit for us to talk about. But given how easily a running care can be jacked and hidden with fifty cents worth of art supplies, it might be worth turning off your engine and putting up with a bit of a chill. Read the rest