Robber takes cash, leaves thumb

You can't make up this stuff. Try it, and it'd sound hokey.

Robber Escapes With Cash, Leaves Thumb

Associated Press
Wednesday, October 22, 2008; 11:18 AM

A man suspected in an armed robbery at an alleged brothel in Washington's Columbia Heights neighborhood left some evidence at the scene -- his thumb.

Police said 22-year-old Bryan Perez and an accomplice made off with hundreds of dollars in cash in the Oct. 11 raid. According to charging documents, one of the victims took control of Perez's silver machete and hacked off his right thumb.

About two hours after the robbery, a nine-fingered Perez went to an emergency room. Police caught up with him and brought the severed thumb to the hospital.

According to an arrest affidavit, a doctor told police the thumb "fits like a puzzle piece." Perez was transferred to a Baltimore hospital to have it reattached.

Yesterday, a judge ordered the Hyattsville, Md., man held without bond.