A thief running out of gas during a getaway might just be dumb luck. Asking a police officer for a ride? That might be just dumb.

A thief running out of gas during a getaway might just be dumb luck. Asking a police officer for a ride? That might be just dumb.

Store employees said a man walked into the Game On store at 3791 S. High St. on Wednesday and asked to see two Nintendo DS games. One didn't work, so employee Josh Perna took it -- turning his back just for a second to give it to the store manager.

"He ran out the door with the other one," Perna said.

Perna called police, and store manager Brian Ashton ran after the thief, whose bad luck was just beginning.

The store's security camera captured a nice image of the thief's face. As he escaped, his Dodge Ram truck was caught on the camera of nearby Ollie's Bargain Outlet.

A Columbus police officer watched the camera footage, took a report, and set off to see if he could track down the truck.

Store employees didn't expect to hear from the officer again.

"It was only a $50 product," manager Brian Ashton said.

They did not count on the thief's next moves.

As the officer drove down Glendora Road near Judson Road, he spotted the suspect running across a front yard. The officer got out of his car, and the suspect, identified as Dustin Ray Hall, ran up to him and explained that he had run out of gas, according to court records. Hall asked the officer for a ride, the officer told Perna.

The officer gave Hall a ride, which included stops at Game On so employees could identify him and the Franklin County jail, where the 28-year-old was charged with a misdemeanor count of theft.

"If you're going to rob a place, make sure you have a full tank of gas," Ashton said. "I'm just happy. The officer was very helpful and extremely nice."