Man robs bank to avoid going home to wife, police say

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- A henpecked husband was apparently so desperate to get away from his wife, he turned to crime.

Police told KSHB that Lawrence John Ripple robbed a bank of $3,000 just so that he could go to jail. But instead of running away, the 70-year-old Kansas man sat in the lobby and told security that "he was the guy" they were looking for.

He told police he'd prefer to go to jail rather than home to his wife of 33 years after an argument. He even wrote the robbery note in front of her.

"I've never heard of someone who would rather come to jail and commit a crime so they don't have to go home to be with their family," said Kelli Bailiff, Wyandotte County Sheriff's Office.

If guilty, the man could get his wish of not returning home for up to 20 years. For now, he's back at home until his hearing.