Missoula Man Arrested After Deputy’s Badge Stolen

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana man's desire for a souvenir of his ride in a sheriff's car got him another ride — to jail.

Two Missoula County deputies gave 23-year-old Dexter Frey a ride from a Bonner gas station, where he had a drunken fight with his girlfriend, to a Missoula grocery store on Wednesday so Frey could walk home.

Court records say a deputy checked to see if Frey had forgotten anything and instead found his badge was missing. He chased down Frey, who said he had the badge because he "just wanted a souvenir."

Officers arrested Frey and took him to jail, where a stolen license plate was recovered from his backpack.

Frey made an initial appearance in Justice Court Thursday on two counts of misdemeanor theft.