Man finds (almost) perfect hiding spot from cops — a corn maze, California police say

Officers chasing a stalking suspect knew they had a problem when the man dashed across a California highway and ducked into a corn maze, KNTV reports.

“I’ve been to that maze myself, off duty with kids,” said Lt. Ed Crosby of the Petaluma Police Department, The Mercury News reported. “It’s a great place to hide. It’s very narrow. It takes a long time to get through it.”

Police wound up spending two hours combing the 4-acre Petaluma Pumpkin Patch corn maze off Highway 101 with the help of a California Highway Patrol helicopter and maps provided by employees, The Press Democrat reported.

The corn maze had not yet opened to the public, KNTV reported.

At 11 a.m., with the helicopter running low on fuel and no sign of anyone hiding inside the maze, Crosby said officers were on the verge of giving up, The Press Democrat reported.

“Then one of our guys noticed the chicken coop,” Crosby said, according to The Mercury News. The officer spotted a coop about 20 feet from the maze. “One of our officers kicked the door in, and there he was.”

Officers arrested Ryan Kenneth Watt, 29, whom police described as homeless, on suspicion of violating a restraining order, attempting to dissuade a crime victim, obstructing officers and an earlier warrant, KNTV reported.

Police had been seeking Watt on suspicion of contacting a former girlfriend Friday night in violation of a restraining order, The Press Democrat reported.

He had three prior arrests in September on suspicion of stalking the woman, including placing a GPS tracking device on her vehicle, The Mercury News reported.

The Petaluma Pumpkin Patch corn maze in the Bay Area has 10-foot stalks and normally takes people about 45 minutes to navigate, according to operators. The pumpkin patch is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The maze costs $7 for ages 6 and up.

This story was originally published September 29, 2019 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Man finds (almost) perfect hiding spot from cops — a corn maze, California police say."