Busted

Crime suspect Harper Lee was booked on Wednesday

Harper Lee Grisamore, 2, of Lower Bolingbroke, was arrested Wednesday for destruction of private property and cruelty to humans.

The black-and-white dog, a stray the Grisamores adopted two years ago, destroyed the family’s remote control for the second time in three months.

Delinda Grisamore discovered the wounded remote in the recliner early Tuesday morning. She was most distraught over the prospects of being unable to watch her favorite shows on the Home & Garden TV network. Or having to change channels manually.

She blamed Ed Grisamore, the dog’s co-owner, for dozing off in the recliner Monday night and leaving the remote in the chair, where it met an untimely death.

No paw prints were taken at the crime scene. The dog’s teeth marks were submitted as evidence after destroying the “Auxilary” button, the “Menu” key and inflicting major damage on the TV/Video Input controls.

“Since we can’t press the remote buttons, we will have to press charges,’’ said Ed Grisamore.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Grisamore ordered a new remote from Dish Network. After a quick review of the family’s records, the operator asked: “Did your dog chew the remote again?”

Harper Lee, named after the famous novelist who wrote “To Kill a Mockingbird,” has chewed numerous other items in the Grisamore household, including shoes, socks, eyeglasses, jewelry, Christmas ornaments and the wires to the automatic garage door opener.

“If this dog wrote a book, it would have to be called ‘To Kill a Remote,’ ’’ said Grisamore. “I just wish she would show some remorse. Remorse for the remote.’’

Pardon the pun, but stay tuned.