On Thursday afternoon, a man in upstate New York heroically broke into a neighbor’s burning house and saved their dog that was trapped in the blaze.
At least, that’s what he thought was happening.
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In Halfmoon, near Albany, 43-year-old Michael Orchard was tripping on a particularly strong mixture of LSD and cough syrup when he broke into one his neighbors’ house, according to state troopers. Orchard reportedly fled the “burning” property with the dog cradled in his arms before resting on the front lawn.
“He believed that the residence was on fire and he was rescuing the dog,” Troop Mark Cepiel said during an interview with local network NewsChannel 13.
There was actually no fire at the house at all and the entire situation was the result of Orchard’s hallucinations, according to the Huffington Post.
Orchard began tripping earlier in the day on Thursday when he took cough medicine laced with LSD. Orchard ran around the neighborhood banging on other residents’ doors trying to alert them of the “fire.” After none of them reacted to his frantic warning, Orchard allegedly plowed over his neighbor’s fence with his BMW sedan. He then grabbed the family dog after breaking into the back door.
After being arrested by the police, Orchard was charged with second-degree burglary and third-degree criminal mischief. Because Orchard didn’t drive on the road and was not found carrying any of the illegal substances, he will not be facing any drug charges Cepiel said.
Following his detention, Orchard was “very cooperative” with the police.
Orchard was arraigned at the court in Halfmoon and was remanded to the Saratoga County Jail on $15,000 bail.
The dog was not harmed in the incident.
How do you think the neighbors reacted when Orchard tried to warn them of the house fire?
[H/T Huffington Post]
