When police in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, got a call about a stolen Toyota Corolla, they weren’t expecting to uncover one of the year’s strangest marital standoffs. A local man reported his car missing from a parking lot near his home. Hours later, his wife called again to say the vehicle had been found on Otdykha Island, a sleepy patch of land in the Yenisei River.
Officers who inspected the car saw what looked like a classic theft: a broken ignition, signs of forced entry, and minor body damage. But something about the husband’s story didn’t sit right. Investigators said his timeline changed each time he told it, and the evidence didn’t match his account. After a closer look, they reached an unusual conclusion. The theft had never happened.
According to Oddity Central, police determined that the man had staged the car theft himself. His motive was almost comically small in scale: he wanted to avoid going shopping with his wife. The Corolla had been intentionally damaged to make the lie convincing, and the false report was meant to buy him a few hours of peace.
The plan unraveled almost immediately. The man, who reportedly had no prior criminal record, is now facing prosecution under Article 306 of the Russian Criminal Code for knowingly filing a false police report. He could spend up to two years in prison and is currently under a travel ban while awaiting trial.
The incident took place in April but wasn’t made public until October, when regional authorities shared it with the press. Russian media coverage focused on the absurdity, yet what stands out is how ordinary the impulse behind it feels. He just happened to take things to the next level.
The car was recovered intact, but the marriage may not be. He ended up trading an afternoon of errands for a criminal charge and a permanent record. That had to be an awkward conversation with his wife.
The post This Guy Faked a Car Theft to Avoid Going Shopping With His Wife appeared first on VICE.
