FRANKLIN PARK, Pa. — Blitzen is dead.

A Pennsylvania hunter is under investigation for shooting to death a pet reindeer after mistaking the animal for a regular deer. Two reindeers, Blitzen and Donner, who were part of a Christmas display at the Tee Pee Garden Center, escaped last week after wandering out of an open gate during feeding time.

Donner was recovered, but Blitzen was found dead the next day in a wooded area.

The distraught owner of the reindeer has not decided what action, if any, he will take.

MUNCIE, Ind. — In what may go down as the easiest bust in Randolph County history, police chased down and arrested an alleged burglar after the suspect ran to the local jail to hide.

On Dec. 11, authorities say, Christopher S. Newsome broke into the county courthouse and stole $25 from the receptionist's desk. He then briefly hid in a closet where a janitor found him, authorities said. When the janitor went to call authorities, Newsome sprinted out of the courthouse, through a parking lot and toward a nearby building.

Unfortunately for Newsome, that building was the county jail. Moments later, the 26-year-old was in handcuffs.

Newsome was charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, resisting law enforcement and public intoxication.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.— A 62-year-old ex-postal employee took the expression "disgruntled postal worker" to another level when he arrived at his office a day after being fired and splattered a mixture of porcupine feces and worms on his former co-workers.

James M. Beal pleaded guilty earlier this week to four counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer or employee. At the hearing, Beal apologized to Judge Gordon J. Quist and said he let his anger overrule his judgment after he was fired as relief postmaster in Empire, a town 225 miles northwest of Detroit.

The federal indictment alleged that Beal walked through the back door of the Leelanau County post office on Oct. 18 carrying two five-gallon buckets filled with feces that he had gathered from some woods. After throwing the manure from the first bucket at several employees, Beal left for 30 seconds and then returned to empty the contents of the second bucket on another employee and various pieces of mail.

Authorities say employees were covered in muck from head to toe.

Local mail delivery was halted the next day and a hazardous-materials team was called in to clean and repackage the mail with a note explaining the damage.

Calling the actions "reprehensible" and "extraordinarily demeaning,' Judge Quist could sentence Beal to up to 12 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Beal's attorney, however, has said that his client should receive no more than six months in prison at the March sentencing, given that this is Beal's first run-in with the law.

QUEENS, NY — A Queens man, accompanied by his 89-year-old father, was arrested for bank robbery when he almost collided with a police car during the getaway.

Anthony Scimone Jr. and his father Anthony Sr. were both arrested on charges of robbery although family members insisted it was impossible that the elder Scimone knew he was taking part in a crime. Anthony Sr. suffers from early-stage Alzheimer's and needs a cane to get around.

His daughter and son-in-law, who dropped off heart and Alzheimer's medication for him at the police precinct, said that he is often bewildered and sometimes still thinks he is 50 years old and needs to get up for work. After a brief investigation, Anthony Sr. was released and will not face charges for tagging along with his bank-robbing son.

Authorities say that at about 9 a.m. on Dec. 11, Anthony Scimone Jr. walked out of his house with his father after telling a home attendant that they were going to get some coffee.

Moments later, Scimone ran out with $1,052, jumped behind the wheel, dumped the bag on his father's lap and sped off. Scimone was pulled over a block later after he almost rear-ended a police cruiser. At about the same time, workers emerged from the bank screaming. Authorities arrested the Scimones after spotting the bag on Anthony Sr.'s lap.

An officer at the 109th Precinct in Queens said the matter is still under investigation, but said Scimone Jr. is a suspect in at least four separate robberies. He is being held on $80,000 bail.