Va. eatery owner finds intruder dangling from vent

[November 01, 2010]  VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- The owner of a Virginia restaurant had to close down when something unusual clogged an exhaust vent over his kitchen stove: A former employee.

Harold Owens, owner of Harold's Restaurant in Virginia Beach, says the man used to work for him. He came in to open the restaurant Saturday and found the man's feet dangling from the 18-inch-by-18-inch duct.

The Virginian-Pilot reports the man was treated for a shoulder injury at a local hospital after firefighters managed to free him.

Fire Battalion Chief Ken Pravetz told the newspaper that investigators believe the former employee was trying to get into the restaurant through the vent. Owens says the man apologized to him for trying to climb in.

Owens says he hopes to reopen the restaurant sometime Saturday.

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Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.pilotonline.com/

[Associated Press]

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