Recession Tales from the Heartland: The Coat Riot

God bless the Associated Press for not letting this gem slip through their fingers:

By MEGHAN BARR, Associated Press Writer Meghan Barr, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 14, 9:09 pm ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she’d won the lottery and would pay for everyone’s purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax.

Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.

Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person’s merchandise up to $500, he said.

LOL, “Linda Brown”…no relation (I hope).

Read the rest here, if you must: 

Coat Riot in Ohio (AP via Yahoo!)

H/T Paulie Arbs