It might be the most dad-coded thing ever. That time dad picked up an alleged criminal hitchhiker and then had to turn himself in. Just imagine the endless “accomplice” jokes.
In Osceola County, Michigan, one camouflage-robe-wearing man realized, too late, the guy he’d given a lift to the day before was an actual bad guy.
‘He Didn’t Shoot Me, Or Kill Me, Or Anything’
TikTok user Al (@ilovemylabrador) filmed her father the day after he’d stopped to help out a fellow motorist with a broken-down vehicle. Over the caption, “I cannot make this up,” Al films her father narrating his experience.
“No wonder [the thief] said it’s ‘just been one of them days.’ His van’d broken down in the church parking lot where he stopped to change his clothes after robbing Lake Osceola State Bank,” says her father.
Colin Ian Schingle has been charged with attempted bank robbery after the attempt was reported at 10:08am on Thursday, June 25. “Prosecutors also filed a fourth-offense habitual offender notice against him,” reported Up North Live.
But dad stays nonplussed about the situation. “He didn’t shoot me or kill me or anything, but I gotta call the State Police now,” he says to his daughter.
The camera cuts to him making the call. Spoiler: He blames his child for this unintentional slide into a criminal conspiracy. “My daughter was coming back from Cadillac, and she said there’s a guy hitchhiking down 20 Mile, and nobody has stopped to pick him up. So I went,” he explains.
Then he drove off, pulled up to an intersection, and asked if the man needed a ride. “‘Oh, thank you so much,'” the man said, per the dad’s retelling of events. It seems politeness is always its own reward.
Midwestern Pragmatism At Its Best (And Most Helpful)
The comments section doesn’t know what it wants to say to Al about her dad. The internet is about as excited about his camo robe and giant mini-split as it is about the brush with the law.
“Your dad is one of the most Midwest dads I’ve ever seen,” one viewer said.
“This is such a dad thing [sobbing emoji] would be the first to tell me not to take rides from strangers but would be giving rides out,” another noted.
“Goddamn he’s got a 3 ton mini split in his bedroom,” a third wrote.
Then there’s the robe commentary. According to his daughter, it is 25 years old, and “he won’t even look at another.” One viewer pointed out, “Really into his choice of dad robe. Never seen a camo one that ties like that. Purrr.”
How Bad Is It If You Give A Criminal A Lift?
According to the site JustAnswer, the news isn’t that bad—so as long as you cooperate, preferably with an attorney present. But that doesn’t mean you are totally legally unexposed. If the court issues a subpoena, you are actually required to go. In order to be charged, the prosecutor must prove two things. The first is that “you knowingly assisted someone in committing a crime.” The second, that you “helped them evade justice.”
The typical charge would be “accessory after the fact.” But even if you knew what was happening, under the 5th Amendment, the state can’t force self-incrimination. “Therefore, even if you were aware, you are not required to acknowledge it,” said the legal representative on the forum.
However, judging from video, which has been viewed over 653,000 times, the Michigan police weren’t too worried about a helpful citizen. Al recorded her father talking with two different individuals at the police station. He explained the situation to them. He wasn’t sure if it would be helpful or “have any relevance at all” that he was the driver who seemingly dropped the man off near where he was apprehended.
The police were alerted to the location thanks to a tip. He was taken into custody on an outstanding out-of-county warrant.
@ilovemylabrador i cannot make this up 😭😭
BroBible reached out to the sheriff in Osceola County, Michigan. We also reached out to Al to see how her father is faring. We will update this if either replies.