Stolen lottery ticket leads to bathroom standoff

Stolen lottery tickets led to a brief standoff in northwest Harris County yesterday, though it's still not clear exactly how.

It all started yesterday morning, when a group of armed men stole some lottery tickets from a convenience store at Ella and Garren Springs. Then, later in the day, a guy showed up and tried to cash one of the stolen tickets — which means he was either an exceptionally stupid criminal or an innocent bystander who was surprised to learn the lotto ticket he bought from the sketchy guy on the corner had a backstory. The guy went to the can and the store's employees called the police, who arrived while the man was still, uh, occupied. Deputies ordered everyone out of the store and spent about 30 minutes trying to get the man to come out of the bathroom ... and yes, you may make your own jokes now. We'll give you some time.

Finished? Good. Eventually, the man emerged from the restroom with his hands in the air (and, we hope, washed); no one seems to know yet how he came to have the stolen ticket.