A suspect in an attempted break-in at the Thermos Company was incorrectly identified by race in an initial police report, a spokesman for the company said.

The incident began early Monday morning when an employee reported seeing a black male trying to pry open a vending machine in a break room, according to a police report provided to The Panolian later that morning. Subsequent investigation revealed that a white employee who reported the break-in was responsible and apparently concocted a false description in an attempt to distance himself from blame.

“We located the person who did it, but the vendor did not want to pursue any charges,” Batesville Police Department Detective Captain Paul Shivers said. The vendor agreed to accept restitution, Shivers added.

“The person that reported it was the person who did it,” Shivers said. The detective confirmed the person who reported the crime was white.

The Panolian regrets the error. The newspaper staff makes a diligent effort to report the news accurately and fairly. When mistakes occur, they will be promptly corrected on being brought to the attention of the editor.