Shoplifting American man arrested in Ubud after trying to hide out in water tower, hiding from angry mob

An American man has been arrested in Ubud after he unsuccessfully tried to evade an angry mob (and law enforcement). 

Noah Pardue, 22, had allegedly taken a couple of pairs of pants—without paying for them. However, not so lucky for the  American, one of the store’s employees noticed what he was doing and started shouting “thief.”  That seemed to have ticked off a lot of people, so Pardue tried to flee and hide in a restaurant’s water tower, according to Bali Post. 

And here you thought the craziest stuff you saw in Ubud came with the Bali Spirit Festival crowd. 

From the store, Pardue apparently fled southbound around Jl. Monkey Forest Road, dashing into a restaurant with angry locals in hot pursuit. 

After some searching, Criminal Police later found the long-haired bule drenched, hiding in the water tower. As police dragged Pardue out, the crowd that had amassed reportedly went wild, cheering.

Ubud Criminal Police Chief I Made Gede Widia Adnyana confirmed the incident to local media. 

“The perpetrator of the pants theft has been taken to the police station, where the investigation will subsequently be conducted,” he said. 

The American is probably just relieved that things didn’t take a violent turn and he was spared from Indonesian-style street justice.