Alleged Shoplifter Snagged by Elevator

N E W  O R L E A N S, April 28 -- Next time, maybe he should take the stairs.

A suspected shoplifter was thwarted when he tried to escapepursuers by taking an elevator and his foot became wedged between aconveyer belt and a wall. James Bunch, 21, was "screaming like crazy" when threeemployees from a clothing store caught up with him inside thegarage, store manager Mario Kohsmann said. Bunch had tried toescape via the elevator that attendants use to move through the17-story garage. Users stand on a single step and hold onto a cableas the lift moves. Once New Orleans police arrived, it took 20 minutes to freeBunch, who was then slapped in handcuffs and taken to a hospital.He was booked with shoplifting and marijuana possession. "We've had shopliftings, but never anything like this, Kohsmannsaid.