Cow theft goes horribly awry

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Thieves in Malaysia stole an adult cow, squeezed it into the back seat of a car and drove off with it, but abandoned the animal when the getaway vehicle crashed into a tree, police said Thursday.

The cow, injured in the crash, was slaughtered by villagers.

The thieves managed to push the cow into the back of a mid-sized sedan Tuesday night, but were spotted by villagers who gave chase, said a local police official in the northern state of Kedah. He declined to be named, citing protocol.

A blurry photograph in the New Straits Times daily showed the cow's head with closed eyes sticking out of the back seat window of the crashed car.