Driver recovers purloined beer keg

A beer thief apparently bit off more than he could chew early Tuesday morning. The Whitefish Police Department received a call from a beverage delivery driver stating a keg had been stolen from the back of his truck while he was inside the business making a delivery. He called back later to report that he had found the keg hidden behind a dumpster.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office was alerted by a Kalispell area coffee shop owner that a barista sprayed a man with pepper spray after he took off with the tip money. She told the sheriff’s office the same man had also stolen the tip jar the day before. Further investigation revealed the man had outstanding warrants outside the county.

A woman in Kalispell called the sheriff’s office to report a man threatening her husband and saying he would break a window. Noting the man appeared to be upset about a pair of shorts left at the residence, the caller added that he “appears to be on meth tonight and is not acting rational.”

Also in the Kalispell area, a business owner reported a suspicious man in his store who appeared to be casing the business. The caller reported a hatchet sticking out of the man’s backpack and indicated it also contained screwdrivers, a flashlight and other burglary tools.

Kalispell Police received a call Tuesday that a woman of about 30 years of age was determined to get to Washington. The caller said she was “obviously out of it and stumbling around,” asking for a ride west. The responding officer did not think she was intoxicated. No ride forthcoming, she informed him she would be heading to the Evergreen State on foot.