The investigation into the theft of a coat and hat was only a day old when the prime suspect, wearing his booty, waltzed into police headquarters and the arms of the law. Randolph Ferland, 53, stopped Wednesday at the police station in this west-central Connecticut town to use the bathroom, but was arrested after an alert police captain realized Ferland and his outfit matched witnesses' descriptions. The crime drama began Tuesday night when someone sneaked into the Lutheran Church of Cheshire, and stole a winter coat and knit hat from a closet. A few church members got a glimpse of the man, and described him to police. Police Capt. Gary Walberg said he was reading a report on the theft Wednesday when he happened to peer out of his office and saw the man described in the report _ jacket, hat and all. ``He matched the description to a T,'' Walberg said. The only thing missing was the victim to identify the coat Ferland was wearing as the one that had been taken. As that thought crossed Walberg's mind, the victim walked into the police station to see if the coat had been found. It had. After spending most of the day in jail, Ferland pleaded guilty in Meriden Superior Court to sixth-degree larceny by possession. A judge released him for time already served.
