Lock Up and Be Wary
A friend of mine lived in a semi-rural area growing up. One night, the local authorities knocked on her door and warned her that they were looking for a possibly violent fugitive. They told her they’d check her property and that she should lock up and be wary.
It wasn’t until some time later that she found out the full story. The fugitive had been caught mauling a horse in a local stable. In the ensuing panic, the horse’s leg was broken and the man got away. He was found two days later hiding in a stormwater drain.
Story credit: Reddit / bornwithatail