A brazen man carrying a huge turtle through a city centre has been caught by police.
Residents spotted the man with the large marine reptile he allegedly got from a beach and immediately called the cops.
Officers went to check on the report and found him with the turtle tucked under his arm.
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Footage shows the suspect being led to a patrol car by a burly cop.
The man seemed barely able to carry the large animal as it flapped its flippers in distress.
The officer instructed the suspect to place the reptile on the backseat as he argued his case.
The laughing cameraperson says: “Dude, look what this guy has got.
“He stole a turtle.
“Look at the size of that turtle, bro.”
The suspect allegedly stole the animal from Flamengo Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Monday (13 Jan)
The man was with a woman when he was stopped.
According to the police, the pair fled the scene while the officer was placing the creature in the backseat of the patrol car.
The cop took the turtle back to the coast and returned it to the sea, as reported by Need To Know.
It’s unclear if the authorities plan to track down the man to take further action against him.
One local said: “It’s not surprising, yesterday I saw another guy putting a traffic light on his back to decorate his shack.”
Marcus added: “Look at the size of that turtle. And it’s happening in the middle of the street, absolutely bonkers.”
Francisco said: “The guy was about to make turtle soup and they ruined his meal.”
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