Man Arrested Trying To "Save" Beer From Blaze

APRIL 24--A South Dakota man was arrested yesterday afternoon after he pushed past police and firefighters so that he could “save” his beer inside an apartment building that was aflame.

Michael Casteel, 56, was collared outside his home, a multifamily residence in Sioux Falls. As emergency workers were treating other building residents for injuries, Casteel, cops say, persisted in trying to reenter the building (seen above) to retrieve beer from his apartment.

Casteel succeeded in returning to his home, where he grabbed two cans of Bud Ice Premium, cops say. Upon exiting the building with cans in hand, Casteel was arrested for his ill-advised beer run.

A police spokesperson charitably described Casteel’s devotion to his suds as “poor judgment.”

Casteel, charged with obstructing a firefighter or law enforcement official, was booked into the Minnehaha County jail (where he is locked up in lieu of $300 bond).

According to state records, Casteel was arrested last month for drunk driving and several other misdemeanor charges, including threatening a law enforcement officer and driving with an open container of alcohol. He is scheduled for trial on May 16.

Casteel’s rap sheet also includes an April 2016 conviction for drunk driving and a March 2016 bust for felony domestic abuse (a charge that was subsequently dismissed by prosecutors). (2 pages)