BRISTOL, Conn. — A Connecticut man’s late-night attempt to rescue his dog from a locked park bathroom ended with him stuck in a chimney and in police custody, authorities said Sunday.
Carlos Owens, 35, was arrested after firefighters had to dismantle part of a chimney at Rockwell Park’s recreational meeting facility in Bristol to free him. The bizarre incident unfolded after park employees called police around 2:30 a.m. and reported hearing someone trapped inside the chimney.
According to the Bristol Police Department, Owens had been trying to retrieve his dog, who had gotten locked inside a park bathroom the night before. Instead of contacting authorities, Owens apparently decided to enter the building through the chimney — a move that backfired when he got stuck near the flue at the base.
Firefighters removed between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of parts to extract Owens, who fortunately was not injured. However, he was quickly handcuffed and charged with burglary, trespassing, and criminal mischief.
“It is a bit of a crazy scenario,” said Erica Benoit, community engagement coordinator for Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services. “Our parks staff is working with the police department and the fire department to make sure that doesn’t happen again. If he had just contacted police in the first place, we might have been able to avoid the situation.”
Benoit explained that bathroom doors at Rockwell Park are set on automatic timers and lock each night at 10 p.m., though other building doors can still be opened from the inside. It remains unclear how Owens’ dog, who was unharmed but visibly confused, ended up locked inside the bathroom.
Owens has since been released on bond and is scheduled to appear in court on July 7.
The Bristol Police Department continues to investigate the incident.
