Despite the hard-hat and reflective vest he wore, police were skeptical when Daniel Knight told them he was taking the Pepsi machines from Westgate Shopping Center back to the plant for repairs.

Maybe it was because he was trying to drag the machines with a length of rope tied to his pickup, or the fact the pickup had become stuck in the soft dirt of the shopping center flower beds. Or maybe it was because it was 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning, or because each $2,000 machine was damaged beyond repair.

Police were called to the Shaw’s Westgate to investigate the operation and a telephone call to Pepsi revealed no such late-night maintenance call was in the works, said Portland Lt. Tony Ward.

Police arrested Knight, 41, on charges of aggravated criminal mischief.