Journalists are supposed to ask the tough questions, but one reporter covering the apprehension of escaped fugitive Danelo Cavalcante may have asked the most bizarre, most off-topic question ever.
Spoiler alert: It involved “The Little Rascals.”
The 34-year-old fugitive was arrested Wednesday morning after a two-week manhunt. He was found in a wooded area about 30 miles from the Chester County Prison where he was housed.
A few hours after the arrest, Lt. Col. George Bivens held a press conference to explain how Cavalcante was arrested without any shots fired.
However, one unidentified reporter had a theory about how Cavalcante managed to elude capture for two weeks ― and it was based on a famous scene in the 1994 “Little Rascals” movie.
The reporter’s question seemed to be based on the fact that Cavalcante was relatively short, but it was still a stretch:
“Was there any concern he would team up with another small man to step inside of a trench coat, ’Little Rascals’-style?” the reporter asked.
Bivens nipped that theory in the bud with a quick, “No!”
And, yes, we know: Pictures or it didn’t happen.
Just to be clear what the reporter was referring to, here’s a clip from the 1994 film where some of the gang wear trenchcoats and fake beards to convince people they’re adults.
While it’s doubtful the reporter will win a Pulitzer for the hard-hitting inquiry, he did get his flowers from users of X, formerly known as Twitter.
After the exchange went viral, a podcaster named Michael Rainey claimed to be the man who asked the question that he said “needed to be asked.”
He also noted that officials politely asked him to leave afterward.