Burglar reported his getaway truck stolen after robbing a Verizon store. One clue on his sleeve told police who the real culprit was

Sometimes karma hits in just a matter of minutes. On June 25, 29-year-old Jalen Godard reported his truck stolen to the Howard County Police Department. However, before his call, officers were responding to a burglary at a Verizon store in Ellicott City. Half an hour later, officers were asked to check on Godard, who was across the street at a 7-Eleven store, as per the Baltimore Banner. When officers got to the scene, they asked him to pull up his sleeves and handcuffed him right on the spot. The news was also reported by KHOU11 on July 4, and it received 91,263 views, 2,700 likes, and 978 comments.

Karma in 30 minutes

At 5 a.m., officers responded to the Verizon store after receiving reports of a burglary. They found a broken window with blood on it, and surveillance footage showed a man stealing items from the store. When they later encountered Godard at the nearby 7-Eleven, they noticed blood on his hands and clothes, matching the evidence from the crime scene. Realizing he was the same suspect captured on camera, they arrested him immediately.

Caught 'red-handed'

As per the body cam footage, Godard kept repeating that he was not at the Verizon store. But 10 minutes later, Officer Luke Buchanan told Godard to be honest since "the gig's up." Godard was also heard saying, "They stole my truck? Oh my God," to which Officer Buchanan responded with, "That's kind of some karma sh*t right there, ain't it?" Seth Hoffman, a spokesperson for the Howard County Police Department, said in a statement that Godard was charged with theft, burglary, and destruction of property. At the time of writing, the Maryland court records revealed that he was held without bond.

Not the first time this has happened

This was not the first time something like this had happened. Back in August 2019, William Kelley called the Kennewick Police Department at 6 a.m. to report his red 1992 Chevy pickup truck as stolen. After checking the security footage, the police found that Kelley was at the location because he was in the middle of an attempted burglary of a business across the street. He was arrested and charged with burglary.

Surprisingly, vehicle theft in America has gone down in 2025. There was a 23% decrease from 2024, as per the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). However, retail theft was still a huge issue. In 2024, the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that the U.S. experienced a $45 billion loss due to shoplifting. There was an 18% increase in average shoplifting incidents in 2024, while threats and acts of violence during shoplifting events increased by 17%.

What goes around, comes around

People found the situation hilarious. At the time of writing, Godard's truck had not yet been found. However, a few also commented on how bad the situation has become. @Six_Foot_Tree commented, "Proving there’s no honor among thieves." @viewer0ne wrote, "Most expensive robbery and lesson ever! I’m sure his truck costs a lot more than whatever he stole. Plus, he’s facing multiple charges."

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