Armed police went into action in the German city of
The woman was returning late at night to her car in an
indoor car park when she saw the suspected brigand through the window of a
parked van, police said Thursday.
Though she later admitted to only catching a glimpse in the
darkness, she was sufficiently alarmed to alert the authorities.
Armed officers arrived in three cars and surrounded the van.
What they found was a large toy beaver, strapped into the passenger seat.
A police spokesman said he struggled to see how the toy,
which has two oversized front teeth, could have been mistaken for a person.
