Today in Madison’s criminal masterminds, a 19-year-old burglary suspect allegedly hid a stolen TV, guns and laptops where no one would ever think to look: in piles of leaves in his backyard.

Unfortunately enough for this suspect, police searching the Raymond Road yard thought to look in the leaves. Officers also discovered the victims’ stolen credit cards in an empty chip bag concealed among the leaves during their search.

No write up can do the story justice quite like reading the full incident report from the Madison Police Department’s Joel DeSpain:

A crime victim, utilizing iPad tracking technology, teams up with the MPD and other concerned citizens to put a burglary suspect behind bars. In the process, a couple of guns, electronics, and other items stolen early Sunday morning from a Piedmont Rd. home were recovered at different locations.

The victims, a husband and wife, never woke up when a burglar came into their home via the garage. When they did rise, they discovered they had been victimized. A flat screen TV, a video gaming system, a wallet, a laptop computer, a rifle, a shotgun, ammunition, and their iPad were among items missing.

Utilizing tracking software, the victims were able to lead police to a residence in the 6200 block of Raymond Rd., which is where it was thought the iPad was currently located. Police were initially denied entry into the home, but their presence set in motion a flurry of activity Sunday afternoon.

It included a call from a 48-year old man who told officers he saw two men running with long gun cases, and that they subsequently hid them in Lucy Lincoln Hiestand Park, 1506 Prairie Road. The concerned citizen led police to the guns which were beneath a tree and under some leaves.

The investigation, back at the Raymond Rd. address, led to the discovery of more stolen items. The TV was under leaves in the backyard, not far from an empty bag of chips that contained the victims’ credit cards. The gaming system was found in a backpack inside the residence. At one point, it had been hidden in the oven. Officers were also able to find a suitcase concealed under a leaf pile in the 1700 block of Rae Lane. It contained a couple of stolen laptop computers.

The victims’ said the stolen iPad was no longer on Raymond Rd. It was on the move, and eventually found at the Talk N Fix kiosk at West Towne Mall where “the owners” had brought it for “repair.”

A 19-year old Madison man has been arrested for the burglary. The investigation is ongoing.

Stay in school, kids.