The Stupid Crimes & Misdemeanors Thread
Moderator: S2k Moderators
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Burglar gets trapped in chimney
HOUSTON, Texas — It was almost like Christmas all over again for a bungling burglar.
A Santa-like scenario unfolded when Michael Arlington, 21, shunned the front door in favor of the chimney to enter the Rotisserie Beef and Bird Restaurant early on Jan. 15.
But in very un-St. Nick fashion, Arlington became stuck in the chimney.
Arlington reportedly used his cell phone to call a friend for help. The friend, whose name was not released, reportedly broke a restaurant window but could not help Arlington and fled the scene after the alarm was set off.
Police arrived to find Arlington, legs dangling from the fireplace, pleading for help to get out of the chimney. Firefighters climbed the roof and lowered a knotted rope to Arlington, who was able to climb out.
The sooty suspect later pleaded guilty in Harris County court to attempted burglary. He was sentenced to 180 days in county jail, according to a court clerk.
As for the chimney, restaurant owner Joe Mannke joked that it had not been cleaned in some 25 years and now it did not even have to be cleaned, thanks to Arlington.
HOUSTON, Texas — It was almost like Christmas all over again for a bungling burglar.
A Santa-like scenario unfolded when Michael Arlington, 21, shunned the front door in favor of the chimney to enter the Rotisserie Beef and Bird Restaurant early on Jan. 15.
But in very un-St. Nick fashion, Arlington became stuck in the chimney.
Arlington reportedly used his cell phone to call a friend for help. The friend, whose name was not released, reportedly broke a restaurant window but could not help Arlington and fled the scene after the alarm was set off.
Police arrived to find Arlington, legs dangling from the fireplace, pleading for help to get out of the chimney. Firefighters climbed the roof and lowered a knotted rope to Arlington, who was able to climb out.
The sooty suspect later pleaded guilty in Harris County court to attempted burglary. He was sentenced to 180 days in county jail, according to a court clerk.
As for the chimney, restaurant owner Joe Mannke joked that it had not been cleaned in some 25 years and now it did not even have to be cleaned, thanks to Arlington.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Man busted after bringing pot to court
DES MOINES, Iowa — The case of Clyde Lamar Pace II backs up the often assumed connection between pot smoking and memory loss.
Pace, 18, was passing through a security checkpoint at Polk County Court last week when it came time to empty his pockets.
Pace, who was heading to a hearing on prior drug and traffic charges, apparently forgot about the small bag of marijuana in his pocket.
Along with items like pocket change and keys, Pace apparently tossed the baggie into a plastic tray at the security checkpoint, much to the surprise of court employees.
Perhaps realizing he was caught pot-handed, Pace allegedly took off and ran the length of the court building before ending up corned by deputies at a locked revolving door.
Pace was arrested and charged with drug possession and resisting arrest. His initial appearance on the charges is set for Jan. 23 in Polk County court.
He also faces a Feb. 18 trial on the original charges he was set to appear for when he was allegedly caught with the pocket full of pot.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The case of Clyde Lamar Pace II backs up the often assumed connection between pot smoking and memory loss.
Pace, 18, was passing through a security checkpoint at Polk County Court last week when it came time to empty his pockets.
Pace, who was heading to a hearing on prior drug and traffic charges, apparently forgot about the small bag of marijuana in his pocket.
Along with items like pocket change and keys, Pace apparently tossed the baggie into a plastic tray at the security checkpoint, much to the surprise of court employees.
Perhaps realizing he was caught pot-handed, Pace allegedly took off and ran the length of the court building before ending up corned by deputies at a locked revolving door.
Pace was arrested and charged with drug possession and resisting arrest. His initial appearance on the charges is set for Jan. 23 in Polk County court.
He also faces a Feb. 18 trial on the original charges he was set to appear for when he was allegedly caught with the pocket full of pot.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Escape plan leaves inmate stuck in prison window
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Instead of going over the wall, an inmate at South Central Regional Jail tried to go through it — without much luck.
Robert Anthony Hill was trapped for about four hours in a 6-inch wide, 3-feet high window after getting stuck about 1:30 p.m. Monday, said Steve Canterbury, director of the state Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Kanawha County man had worked a metal shelf off the wall in his cell and then used the shelf to break the window at the jail in Charleston, Canterbury said.
Hill, 25, had taken off his shirt and greased his upper body with soap, Canterbury said. The inmate managed to get his head and one shoulder through before his ribs became wedged in a diagonal position.
Not only was the window too small, but even if Hill had managed to get through it, he would have had to jump from the second floor into an open field that is constantly monitored by guards and surrounded by a fence.
The inmate was freed at 4:45 p.m. Monday and taken to a local hospital. Canterbury said the inmate's injuries were not life-threatening.
"It's nothing that won't heal," Canterbury said. "Obviously, we won't be able to heal his lack of judgment, but we'll be able to heal his wounds."
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Instead of going over the wall, an inmate at South Central Regional Jail tried to go through it — without much luck.
Robert Anthony Hill was trapped for about four hours in a 6-inch wide, 3-feet high window after getting stuck about 1:30 p.m. Monday, said Steve Canterbury, director of the state Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Kanawha County man had worked a metal shelf off the wall in his cell and then used the shelf to break the window at the jail in Charleston, Canterbury said.
Hill, 25, had taken off his shirt and greased his upper body with soap, Canterbury said. The inmate managed to get his head and one shoulder through before his ribs became wedged in a diagonal position.
Not only was the window too small, but even if Hill had managed to get through it, he would have had to jump from the second floor into an open field that is constantly monitored by guards and surrounded by a fence.
The inmate was freed at 4:45 p.m. Monday and taken to a local hospital. Canterbury said the inmate's injuries were not life-threatening.
"It's nothing that won't heal," Canterbury said. "Obviously, we won't be able to heal his lack of judgment, but we'll be able to heal his wounds."
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Suspect forgets to get rid of stick-up note
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (Court TV) — If you plan to rob a bank, don't let the cops see your stick-up note.
That's the lesson to be learned from the misadventures of Christopher Fields.
Durham police charged Fields, 42, with attempting to rob the Central Carolina Bank earlier this month. But it was actually police in neighboring Hillsborough who nabbed the wanted man before he could apparently strike again.
Police reportedly received a call about a suspicious man lurking around the BB&T Bank in Hillsborough. The man allegedly entered the bank but never approached any tellers or conducted any bank business, according to police.
Responding officers Capt. Dexter Davis and Sgt. Brad Whitted spotted a man wearing a backpack walking toward the back of the bank. When the officers entered, the man walked out, police said.
Davis and Whitted stopped the man and asked for his identification, which he nervously produced.
Officers asked him if he had a weapon. To prove he did not, Fields opened his backpack. What the officers saw reportedly shocked — and amused — them.
Inside the bag, in plain sight, was a note that read: "I want $10,000 in $100 bills. Don't push no buttons, or I'll shot (sic) you." Fields reportedly told the amused officers that the note was not his.
As the officers handcuffed Fields and patted him down, they were in for a second surprise — a 10-inch butcher knife allegedly fell out of his pants.
Hillsborough police contacted Durham police who were looking for Fields in connection with the attempted robbery of the Central Carolina Bank on Jan. 12.
During that robbery attempt, the suspect allegedly handed over a note demanding a specific amount of cash in specific denominations. When the teller replied that she did not have the money in those denominations, the robber became angry and left the bank, according to police.
Hillsborough police did not charge Fields with any crimes since he did not actually attempt to rob the Hillsborough bank where he was caught.
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (Court TV) — If you plan to rob a bank, don't let the cops see your stick-up note.
That's the lesson to be learned from the misadventures of Christopher Fields.
Durham police charged Fields, 42, with attempting to rob the Central Carolina Bank earlier this month. But it was actually police in neighboring Hillsborough who nabbed the wanted man before he could apparently strike again.
Police reportedly received a call about a suspicious man lurking around the BB&T Bank in Hillsborough. The man allegedly entered the bank but never approached any tellers or conducted any bank business, according to police.
Responding officers Capt. Dexter Davis and Sgt. Brad Whitted spotted a man wearing a backpack walking toward the back of the bank. When the officers entered, the man walked out, police said.
Davis and Whitted stopped the man and asked for his identification, which he nervously produced.
Officers asked him if he had a weapon. To prove he did not, Fields opened his backpack. What the officers saw reportedly shocked — and amused — them.
Inside the bag, in plain sight, was a note that read: "I want $10,000 in $100 bills. Don't push no buttons, or I'll shot (sic) you." Fields reportedly told the amused officers that the note was not his.
As the officers handcuffed Fields and patted him down, they were in for a second surprise — a 10-inch butcher knife allegedly fell out of his pants.
Hillsborough police contacted Durham police who were looking for Fields in connection with the attempted robbery of the Central Carolina Bank on Jan. 12.
During that robbery attempt, the suspect allegedly handed over a note demanding a specific amount of cash in specific denominations. When the teller replied that she did not have the money in those denominations, the robber became angry and left the bank, according to police.
Hillsborough police did not charge Fields with any crimes since he did not actually attempt to rob the Hillsborough bank where he was caught.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Thief makes off with streakers' car
SPOKANE, Wash. (Court TV) — A car thief left a trio of streakers out in the cold.
Three men who made a racy run through a Denny's restaurant earlier this month were themselves the victims of a keen-eyed customer who apparently made off with the naked men's car — as well as the clothes they left inside.
The car was later recovered and the streakers do not face criminal charges, police said. But the car thief remains at large.
The three men reportedly stripped down to nothing but their shoes and hats in 20-degree weather on Jan. 14 and proceeded to streak through a warm Denny's restaurant in Spokane.
In hopes of making a quick getaway, one of the pranksters left his blue 1988 Mazda running outside. According to police, another customer in the restaurant noticed the waiting car and drove off with it.
The streakers watched in horror as the car drove away, according to police. They gave chase but were unable to catch up and were forced to huddle nude behind a car in an adjacent parking lot until police arrived.
Several days later the owner of the car recovered his vehicle in a parking lot several miles from the Denny's, according to Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam.
Authorities believe that car thief drove the vehicle a short distance and abandoned it, but that a second person may have stolen the car again, Cottam said.
The locks were broken and the ignition and radio were ripped out. The original thief would not have had to break into the car because it was left unlocked and running by its streaking owner, Cottam said.
The streakers could have faced charges of indecent exposure or lewd conduct but have not been charged because officers did not witness the incident, and nobody at the restaurant chose to make a complaint, Cottam said.
"They have had sufficient punishment," Cottam said.
SPOKANE, Wash. (Court TV) — A car thief left a trio of streakers out in the cold.
Three men who made a racy run through a Denny's restaurant earlier this month were themselves the victims of a keen-eyed customer who apparently made off with the naked men's car — as well as the clothes they left inside.
The car was later recovered and the streakers do not face criminal charges, police said. But the car thief remains at large.
The three men reportedly stripped down to nothing but their shoes and hats in 20-degree weather on Jan. 14 and proceeded to streak through a warm Denny's restaurant in Spokane.
In hopes of making a quick getaway, one of the pranksters left his blue 1988 Mazda running outside. According to police, another customer in the restaurant noticed the waiting car and drove off with it.
The streakers watched in horror as the car drove away, according to police. They gave chase but were unable to catch up and were forced to huddle nude behind a car in an adjacent parking lot until police arrived.
Several days later the owner of the car recovered his vehicle in a parking lot several miles from the Denny's, according to Spokane Police spokesman Dick Cottam.
Authorities believe that car thief drove the vehicle a short distance and abandoned it, but that a second person may have stolen the car again, Cottam said.
The locks were broken and the ignition and radio were ripped out. The original thief would not have had to break into the car because it was left unlocked and running by its streaking owner, Cottam said.
The streakers could have faced charges of indecent exposure or lewd conduct but have not been charged because officers did not witness the incident, and nobody at the restaurant chose to make a complaint, Cottam said.
"They have had sufficient punishment," Cottam said.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Bank robber is a poor speller
SAYVILLE, N.Y. (Court TV) — He's an awful speller but, so far, a decent bank robber.
An unidentified man police call the "Spelling Bee Dropout" has been linked to at least seven bank robberies over a six-month period.
Despite misspelling words like "robbery" and "every," police believe the man has made off with between $5,000 and $10,000 since his spree began on June 24 at a Centereach Bank.
In the first two robberies, the suspect used computer-typed notes that were free of spelling and grammatical errors, police said. But in the following string of robberies, the notes were handwritten — and poorly.
Selected works by the suspected robber include this verse given to a teller at a North Fork bank in Sayville last December: "This is a robery ... Hand over the cash do it fast no tricks and every one be ok."
Another sample of the suspect's worthy prose includes this note allegedly handed over at an HSBC Bank in Centereach: "This is a robrey ... Hand over cash fast + no one get hurt \ 50" + 100" only."
Police suspect that the robber may be intentionally butchering his notes to disguise his identity.
The suspect is described as a stocky white male with facial hair, 30 to 40 years old, standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10 and weighing 190 to 200 pounds.
The man, who usually wears a baseball cap and sunglasses, has never brandished a weapon but once threatened violence by including in his note a sketch of a gun with bullets coming out of it, according to police.
In every incident, the robber has quietly approached a teller, sometimes even waiting patiently in line for his turn.
At least once, the suspect's poor spelling backfired when a Washington Mutual bank teller reportedly laughed at the note and dismissed the robbery attempt. In that case, the robber just shook his head and walk away empty-handed, police said.[/b]
SAYVILLE, N.Y. (Court TV) — He's an awful speller but, so far, a decent bank robber.
An unidentified man police call the "Spelling Bee Dropout" has been linked to at least seven bank robberies over a six-month period.
Despite misspelling words like "robbery" and "every," police believe the man has made off with between $5,000 and $10,000 since his spree began on June 24 at a Centereach Bank.
In the first two robberies, the suspect used computer-typed notes that were free of spelling and grammatical errors, police said. But in the following string of robberies, the notes were handwritten — and poorly.
Selected works by the suspected robber include this verse given to a teller at a North Fork bank in Sayville last December: "This is a robery ... Hand over the cash do it fast no tricks and every one be ok."
Another sample of the suspect's worthy prose includes this note allegedly handed over at an HSBC Bank in Centereach: "This is a robrey ... Hand over cash fast + no one get hurt \ 50" + 100" only."
Police suspect that the robber may be intentionally butchering his notes to disguise his identity.
The suspect is described as a stocky white male with facial hair, 30 to 40 years old, standing 5-foot-7 to 5-foot-10 and weighing 190 to 200 pounds.
The man, who usually wears a baseball cap and sunglasses, has never brandished a weapon but once threatened violence by including in his note a sketch of a gun with bullets coming out of it, according to police.
In every incident, the robber has quietly approached a teller, sometimes even waiting patiently in line for his turn.
At least once, the suspect's poor spelling backfired when a Washington Mutual bank teller reportedly laughed at the note and dismissed the robbery attempt. In that case, the robber just shook his head and walk away empty-handed, police said.[/b]
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Failed pond-jump earns daredevil 270 days in jail
SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP/Court TV) — A man who drove an old car into a pond in a failed attempt to jump over it — Evel Knievel-style — has been sentenced to 270 days in jail.
Wayland Justin Williams, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to property destruction, dispensing an offensive matter in a pond and abandoning a motor vehicle on state land.
Circuit Judge John Sampson fined him $690. For driving through a fence, Williams must also pay $200 to a rancher who holds a state permit to graze livestock on the land.
According to court documents, Williams polluted the bass pond with oil and gasoline when he drove the old Buick into it.
The Sheridan County sheriff's report notes: "Wayland claimed he had tried to jump the pond with the green Buick, and that he would have made it had he built a ramp."
Sheriff Dave Hofmeier was pleased with the sentence.
"It's also nice to see a severe punishment for damaging our state lands. This will be a message to the rest of the public, and hopefully we can get better care of our state lands," he said.
SHERIDAN, Wyo. (AP/Court TV) — A man who drove an old car into a pond in a failed attempt to jump over it — Evel Knievel-style — has been sentenced to 270 days in jail.
Wayland Justin Williams, 24, pleaded guilty Tuesday to property destruction, dispensing an offensive matter in a pond and abandoning a motor vehicle on state land.
Circuit Judge John Sampson fined him $690. For driving through a fence, Williams must also pay $200 to a rancher who holds a state permit to graze livestock on the land.
According to court documents, Williams polluted the bass pond with oil and gasoline when he drove the old Buick into it.
The Sheridan County sheriff's report notes: "Wayland claimed he had tried to jump the pond with the green Buick, and that he would have made it had he built a ramp."
Sheriff Dave Hofmeier was pleased with the sentence.
"It's also nice to see a severe punishment for damaging our state lands. This will be a message to the rest of the public, and hopefully we can get better care of our state lands," he said.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Woman, dog busted for public intoxication
NEWBERN, Tenn. (Court TV) — Dogs are man's best friend, but that doesn't make them good drinking buddies.
Glenda Jane Davis and her cocker spaniel were both nabbed for public intoxication last month after Davis, 43, apparently shared some hooch with her pooch.
The Newbern Police Department received a call on Jan. 23 from a downtown restaurant about a woman with a small dog. The woman, identified as Davis, appeared to be intoxicated and was cursing, according to police.
Davis left the restaurant with the dog, and was nabbed by police on a nearby street corner. Davis was carted off to Dyer County Jail while her dog was taken to a local animal shelter.
When it arrived at the shelter, the cocker spaniel reportedly was wobbly and had bloodshot eyes, according to a supervisor at the Dyersberg-Dyer County Humane Society shelter.
In true hangover fashion, the dog was given an aspirin and quickly pepped up and became friendly again.
As for Davis, she pleaded guilty in Newbern Municipal Court to public intoxication and paid a $50 fine and $98 in court costs.
NEWBERN, Tenn. (Court TV) — Dogs are man's best friend, but that doesn't make them good drinking buddies.
Glenda Jane Davis and her cocker spaniel were both nabbed for public intoxication last month after Davis, 43, apparently shared some hooch with her pooch.
The Newbern Police Department received a call on Jan. 23 from a downtown restaurant about a woman with a small dog. The woman, identified as Davis, appeared to be intoxicated and was cursing, according to police.
Davis left the restaurant with the dog, and was nabbed by police on a nearby street corner. Davis was carted off to Dyer County Jail while her dog was taken to a local animal shelter.
When it arrived at the shelter, the cocker spaniel reportedly was wobbly and had bloodshot eyes, according to a supervisor at the Dyersberg-Dyer County Humane Society shelter.
In true hangover fashion, the dog was given an aspirin and quickly pepped up and became friendly again.
As for Davis, she pleaded guilty in Newbern Municipal Court to public intoxication and paid a $50 fine and $98 in court costs.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Underwear foils jail break
PORTLAND, Ore. (Court TV) — A birthday prison escape was undone by a pair of pink undies.
Despite his middle name, for the second time in a year inmate Keith Lucky Stratton was recaptured after an unsuccessful prison escape just months before of his release.
The brazen break, which took place on his birthday, was apparently foiled when someone spotted Stratton, 32, is his jail-issued pink underwear.
Last month, Stratton, a habitual car thief, jumped from a truck carrying a Multnomah County jail work crew. As the vehicle approached a stop sign, Stratton threw open the door, rolled out, and ran off, according to authorities.
Police searching a five-block area locked down local schools as a precaution and circulated Stratton's booking photo. But it was a fashion emergency and a tip from the public that ended the inmate's birthday run.
Stratton was apparently having trouble keeping up the brown pants he was wearing. A little more than two hours after his escape, someone called 911 and reported a suspicious-looking man with pink underwear running behind a furniture store.
After a brief struggle, the birthday boy was taken back into custody. He had been scheduled to be released from jail on May 2.
Last April, Stratton reportedly escaped from a community transition program and was found hiding under a pile of dirty laundry. His cover was blown when officers saw his feet poking out from under the pile.
PORTLAND, Ore. (Court TV) — A birthday prison escape was undone by a pair of pink undies.
Despite his middle name, for the second time in a year inmate Keith Lucky Stratton was recaptured after an unsuccessful prison escape just months before of his release.
The brazen break, which took place on his birthday, was apparently foiled when someone spotted Stratton, 32, is his jail-issued pink underwear.
Last month, Stratton, a habitual car thief, jumped from a truck carrying a Multnomah County jail work crew. As the vehicle approached a stop sign, Stratton threw open the door, rolled out, and ran off, according to authorities.
Police searching a five-block area locked down local schools as a precaution and circulated Stratton's booking photo. But it was a fashion emergency and a tip from the public that ended the inmate's birthday run.
Stratton was apparently having trouble keeping up the brown pants he was wearing. A little more than two hours after his escape, someone called 911 and reported a suspicious-looking man with pink underwear running behind a furniture store.
After a brief struggle, the birthday boy was taken back into custody. He had been scheduled to be released from jail on May 2.
Last April, Stratton reportedly escaped from a community transition program and was found hiding under a pile of dirty laundry. His cover was blown when officers saw his feet poking out from under the pile.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Snake takes bite out of criminal
GREENWICH, N.J. (Court TV) — Was that a snake is in his pants? Actually, it was two.
A man's attempt to shoplift two exotic snakes proved to be a painful mistake when one of the python's bit him in the groin area. The snake wasn't poisonous and the 20-year-old man, whose name has not been released, declined medical attention.
The man reportedly told police that he had rigged a canvas bag into the pocket of his pants in order to conceal the rare tiger pythons, valued at $450 each.
As he was driving home from the pet store, one of the snakes got out of the bag and wrapped itself around the man's leg. First, the snake squeezed. Then, it allegedly bit him in the crotch.
The two tiger pythons were reported stolen on Jan. 7 from the Animal Trax store in Malaga, police said. Three days later police went to the man's home to question him because he had purchased an iguana from the pet store the same day the snakes were stolen.
The man was not at home but a female friend reportedly let officers into the home where they found the two snakes. Police also found two iguanas, a corn snake, and several lizards and frogs living in the home.
Police served the man with a complaint summons for receiving stolen property and released him on his own recognizance. The snakes were returned unharmed to their owner.
GREENWICH, N.J. (Court TV) — Was that a snake is in his pants? Actually, it was two.
A man's attempt to shoplift two exotic snakes proved to be a painful mistake when one of the python's bit him in the groin area. The snake wasn't poisonous and the 20-year-old man, whose name has not been released, declined medical attention.
The man reportedly told police that he had rigged a canvas bag into the pocket of his pants in order to conceal the rare tiger pythons, valued at $450 each.
As he was driving home from the pet store, one of the snakes got out of the bag and wrapped itself around the man's leg. First, the snake squeezed. Then, it allegedly bit him in the crotch.
The two tiger pythons were reported stolen on Jan. 7 from the Animal Trax store in Malaga, police said. Three days later police went to the man's home to question him because he had purchased an iguana from the pet store the same day the snakes were stolen.
The man was not at home but a female friend reportedly let officers into the home where they found the two snakes. Police also found two iguanas, a corn snake, and several lizards and frogs living in the home.
Police served the man with a complaint summons for receiving stolen property and released him on his own recognizance. The snakes were returned unharmed to their owner.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Police catch inmate who escaped using fake gun
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A prison inmate who escaped by brandishing a fake gun made of toilet paper, tape and black ink was captured four days later after a gunfight with police on a busy Omaha street.
No one was injured in the shootout Saturday, police said.
Michael McGuire, 54, had been on the loose since overpowering two guards Tuesday in the state prison at Tecumseh.
Authorities were led to McGuire by a tip from a man who said McGuire had held him in his apartment for three days, said police Capt. Michael Butera.
The man described a car that McGuire was driving, and a Nebraska State Patrol investigator spotted the car Saturday in central Omaha.
Police surrounded the car but McGuire ran, exchanging shots with officers over about a block, said police Officer Dave Volenec.
Then McGuire entered Mojo's Coffeehouse, stomped snow from his shoes and said "It's getting kind of crazy out there," said owner Keri Casady.
Police stormed in and captured McGuire, she said.
At least one shot was fired inside the coffeehouse, officers said.
McGuire, who was serving time on robbery, kidnapping and rape convictions, escaped Tuesday after brandishing what appeared to be a gun during a visit to the Tecumseh hospital.
McGuire's attorney, James Martin Davis, said the gun was actually a papier-mache prop McGuire had fashioned from toilet paper and tape and colored with black ink.
McGuire freed himself from ankle and wrist shackles using a key from one of the guards, then forced one of the guards to drive him in a prison van to the Plattsmouth area, where he handcuffed the guard to a tree and fled in the van, authorities said.
Police said they were interviewing the man who said he was held captive, but have not identified him.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A prison inmate who escaped by brandishing a fake gun made of toilet paper, tape and black ink was captured four days later after a gunfight with police on a busy Omaha street.
No one was injured in the shootout Saturday, police said.
Michael McGuire, 54, had been on the loose since overpowering two guards Tuesday in the state prison at Tecumseh.
Authorities were led to McGuire by a tip from a man who said McGuire had held him in his apartment for three days, said police Capt. Michael Butera.
The man described a car that McGuire was driving, and a Nebraska State Patrol investigator spotted the car Saturday in central Omaha.
Police surrounded the car but McGuire ran, exchanging shots with officers over about a block, said police Officer Dave Volenec.
Then McGuire entered Mojo's Coffeehouse, stomped snow from his shoes and said "It's getting kind of crazy out there," said owner Keri Casady.
Police stormed in and captured McGuire, she said.
At least one shot was fired inside the coffeehouse, officers said.
McGuire, who was serving time on robbery, kidnapping and rape convictions, escaped Tuesday after brandishing what appeared to be a gun during a visit to the Tecumseh hospital.
McGuire's attorney, James Martin Davis, said the gun was actually a papier-mache prop McGuire had fashioned from toilet paper and tape and colored with black ink.
McGuire freed himself from ankle and wrist shackles using a key from one of the guards, then forced one of the guards to drive him in a prison van to the Plattsmouth area, where he handcuffed the guard to a tree and fled in the van, authorities said.
Police said they were interviewing the man who said he was held captive, but have not identified him.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Hawaiian shirt locates bank robber
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A helpful tip for would-be thieves: Remember to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Police say Undra Williams, 24, of Little Rock, was wearing a bright-orange Hawaiian shirt when he failed in an attempt to rob a convenience store Wednesday and then successfully held up a bank 20 minutes later.
Security camera video of the incidents was shown on local television later in the week and Williams was arrested Sunday after the images showed off the robber's taste in loud clothes, police said.
"Once we saw the video, we though it would be fairly easy to catch him," Little Rock police Sgt. Terry Hastings said Monday. "We prefer that criminals wear bright-colored clothes."
Williams was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft. He was being held in the Pulaski County jail.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A helpful tip for would-be thieves: Remember to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Police say Undra Williams, 24, of Little Rock, was wearing a bright-orange Hawaiian shirt when he failed in an attempt to rob a convenience store Wednesday and then successfully held up a bank 20 minutes later.
Security camera video of the incidents was shown on local television later in the week and Williams was arrested Sunday after the images showed off the robber's taste in loud clothes, police said.
"Once we saw the video, we though it would be fairly easy to catch him," Little Rock police Sgt. Terry Hastings said Monday. "We prefer that criminals wear bright-colored clothes."
Williams was charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of theft. He was being held in the Pulaski County jail.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Seniors attempt bank robbery to pay medical bills
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — An elderly man told police he robbed a bank to pay his wife's medical bills.
His wife was behind the wheel of a getaway car Tuesday when the 71-year-old man ran from the bank, police said. Her doctor's appointment was scheduled a half hour later.
A dye pack exploded inside the bag of money, covering James Roland Clark as he left the bank. Clark and his wife, Deloris Jane Clark, 66, were arrested soon afterward, said Gainesville police Sgt. Keith Kameg.
Clark told police he threatened bank tellers saying he had a bomb, but it was actually a bag of sand, Kameg said.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office Bomb Team detonated the bag of sand as a precaution.
"Even though he told us it was filled with sand, nobody wants to be the first person up to check," Kameg said. "If you allege it to be a bomb and you rob a bank with it, we're treating it like it's a bomb."
No one was injured during the robbery.
The couple was being held at Alachua County jail late Tuesday, charged with armed bank robbery. James Clark also faces a charge of threatening to discharge a destructive device.
James Clark has a federal criminal history dating back to 1954, Kameg said. Charges include bank robbery, mail fraud and conspiracy to grow and distribute marijuana, officers reported. He also had been sentenced in 1992 to 12 years in a federal prison on bank robbery charges.
Deloris Clark has no criminal history, Kameg said.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — An elderly man told police he robbed a bank to pay his wife's medical bills.
His wife was behind the wheel of a getaway car Tuesday when the 71-year-old man ran from the bank, police said. Her doctor's appointment was scheduled a half hour later.
A dye pack exploded inside the bag of money, covering James Roland Clark as he left the bank. Clark and his wife, Deloris Jane Clark, 66, were arrested soon afterward, said Gainesville police Sgt. Keith Kameg.
Clark told police he threatened bank tellers saying he had a bomb, but it was actually a bag of sand, Kameg said.
The Alachua County Sheriff's Office Bomb Team detonated the bag of sand as a precaution.
"Even though he told us it was filled with sand, nobody wants to be the first person up to check," Kameg said. "If you allege it to be a bomb and you rob a bank with it, we're treating it like it's a bomb."
No one was injured during the robbery.
The couple was being held at Alachua County jail late Tuesday, charged with armed bank robbery. James Clark also faces a charge of threatening to discharge a destructive device.
James Clark has a federal criminal history dating back to 1954, Kameg said. Charges include bank robbery, mail fraud and conspiracy to grow and distribute marijuana, officers reported. He also had been sentenced in 1992 to 12 years in a federal prison on bank robbery charges.
Deloris Clark has no criminal history, Kameg said.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Thief snatches bras at Victoria's Secret
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Court TV) — Just in time for Valentine's Day, police are hoping to bust a bra thief.
An unknown shoplifter, or shoplifters, reportedly raided a Victoria's Secret shop last weekend and made off with 150 lacy demi-cup and push-up bras worth about $5,400, according to police.
The brazen bra theft took place Sunday at the Bellevue Shopping Center when store employees noticed that storage drawers under the display racks at the front of the store had been looted, police said.
Store managers told police they were very short-staffed that day and that none of the harried help noticed anything suspicious before the theft.
Police theorize that the thief was no hopeless romantic but instead a clever capitalist, citing the ease with which the stolen bras can be hidden and the high resale value of the goods.
Authorities may be looking for a repeat offender.
Lingerie was lifted from the same store twice last year. In late March, a bandit who prefers bulk made off with 300 pairs of panties valued at $5000. Six days later, 161 bras worth $4,830 were snatched.
Police have no suspects in any of the haute heists.
BELLEVUE, Wash. (Court TV) — Just in time for Valentine's Day, police are hoping to bust a bra thief.
An unknown shoplifter, or shoplifters, reportedly raided a Victoria's Secret shop last weekend and made off with 150 lacy demi-cup and push-up bras worth about $5,400, according to police.
The brazen bra theft took place Sunday at the Bellevue Shopping Center when store employees noticed that storage drawers under the display racks at the front of the store had been looted, police said.
Store managers told police they were very short-staffed that day and that none of the harried help noticed anything suspicious before the theft.
Police theorize that the thief was no hopeless romantic but instead a clever capitalist, citing the ease with which the stolen bras can be hidden and the high resale value of the goods.
Authorities may be looking for a repeat offender.
Lingerie was lifted from the same store twice last year. In late March, a bandit who prefers bulk made off with 300 pairs of panties valued at $5000. Six days later, 161 bras worth $4,830 were snatched.
Police have no suspects in any of the haute heists.
Last edited by TexasStooge on Fri Feb 13, 2004 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Wal-Mart cashier foils prison escape
MAGNOLIA, Ark. (Court TV) — It was probably the handcuffs that gave James Alan Cotton II away.
He was just like any other Wal-Mart customer when he went to pay for a bolt cutter — save for the police-issued handcuffs still around his wrists when he forked over his cash.
A keen-eyed cashier completed the Feb. 7 transaction, then called police. Arriving officers confronted Cotton, 25, who had since broken free of his cuffs. After a brief run from authorities, Cotton was collared in a field behind the Wal-Mart.
Police reportedly found the clipped cuffs in his shirt pocket.
Magnolia police officers also learned that Cotton was wanted for escaping from police in Haynesville, La., where he was arrested on Feb. 6 on charges of battery and drug possession.
Cotton reportedly ducked state police by kicking out the rear window of a patrol car while in custody and running away from police.
It is unclear how he traveled the 25 miles from Haynesville to Magnolia, police said.
A judge this week signed off on extradition papers that will send Cotton back to Haynesville, where he faces additional charges of criminal damage to property, escape, and drug possession with intent to sell.
MAGNOLIA, Ark. (Court TV) — It was probably the handcuffs that gave James Alan Cotton II away.
He was just like any other Wal-Mart customer when he went to pay for a bolt cutter — save for the police-issued handcuffs still around his wrists when he forked over his cash.
A keen-eyed cashier completed the Feb. 7 transaction, then called police. Arriving officers confronted Cotton, 25, who had since broken free of his cuffs. After a brief run from authorities, Cotton was collared in a field behind the Wal-Mart.
Police reportedly found the clipped cuffs in his shirt pocket.
Magnolia police officers also learned that Cotton was wanted for escaping from police in Haynesville, La., where he was arrested on Feb. 6 on charges of battery and drug possession.
Cotton reportedly ducked state police by kicking out the rear window of a patrol car while in custody and running away from police.
It is unclear how he traveled the 25 miles from Haynesville to Magnolia, police said.
A judge this week signed off on extradition papers that will send Cotton back to Haynesville, where he faces additional charges of criminal damage to property, escape, and drug possession with intent to sell.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Robbery Suspect Caught Out by TV Show Call
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, but for one Spanish man a brief moment in the limelight could spell a much longer time in a prison cell.
Madrid police said Monday they had arrested a 34-year-old man wanted in six robbery investigations around Spain after he blew his cover by making a crank call to a television crime program about an unrelated murder case.
"Perhaps motivated by a desire to be in the spotlight, he had the arrogance to call a television program to give information about another man wanted by police ... but he got himself arrested instead," Madrid police said in a statement.
Police became suspicious when they tried to get in touch with the caller to obtain more information and found he had changed mobile phones.
They eventually caught up with the man, who had previously been arrested 44 times for robbery.
MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, but for one Spanish man a brief moment in the limelight could spell a much longer time in a prison cell.
Madrid police said Monday they had arrested a 34-year-old man wanted in six robbery investigations around Spain after he blew his cover by making a crank call to a television crime program about an unrelated murder case.
"Perhaps motivated by a desire to be in the spotlight, he had the arrogance to call a television program to give information about another man wanted by police ... but he got himself arrested instead," Madrid police said in a statement.
Police became suspicious when they tried to get in touch with the caller to obtain more information and found he had changed mobile phones.
They eventually caught up with the man, who had previously been arrested 44 times for robbery.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Would-be burglar gets stuck entering through kitchen vents
CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — Attala Abboushi couldn't believe his eyes when he opened his store and saw legs dangling from the kitchen ceiling.
"I thought I was dreaming for a second," Abboushi said.
Police say a would-be burglar got stuck trying to bypass the small grocery's alarm system by breaking in through the vents over a kitchen stove.
After discovering the man shouting for help Sunday, Abboushi called police and firefighters, who cut the vent apart to free the man. The suspect told police he was stuck for four or five hours.
He was taken to St. Vincent Charity Hospital to be treated for cuts and bruises. He was later taken to the city jail.
The man was expected to be charged with breaking and entering, Sgt. Donna Bell said Tuesday. Police suspect he may have entered through roofs on several burglaries.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) — Attala Abboushi couldn't believe his eyes when he opened his store and saw legs dangling from the kitchen ceiling.
"I thought I was dreaming for a second," Abboushi said.
Police say a would-be burglar got stuck trying to bypass the small grocery's alarm system by breaking in through the vents over a kitchen stove.
After discovering the man shouting for help Sunday, Abboushi called police and firefighters, who cut the vent apart to free the man. The suspect told police he was stuck for four or five hours.
He was taken to St. Vincent Charity Hospital to be treated for cuts and bruises. He was later taken to the city jail.
The man was expected to be charged with breaking and entering, Sgt. Donna Bell said Tuesday. Police suspect he may have entered through roofs on several burglaries.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Stolen video library lands woman in court
BATAVIA, Ohio (Court TV) — Melissa Waybright had quite a home library of movies.
Too bad the flicks were all filched from actual lending libraries, according to police.
Officers reportedly found hundred of videos and DVDs in Waybright's home. The movies were stacked on shelves, in boxes, and on the floor, according to police. Waybright, 24, was indicted last month on charges of receiving stolen property, grand theft and two counts of forgery.
Waybright, a mother of three, is accused of stealing between $7,000 and $10,000 worth of mostly children's movies from several libraries in Clermont and Brown counties.
Authorities claim Waybright signed up for several library cards using fake names. Waybright allegedly took the movies for her and her children's personal use, according to prosecutors.
Waybright is due back in Clermont County court on March 1. As far as other film fans are concerned, the case has something of a happy Hollywood ending: All the recovered movies have been returned to the libraries.
BATAVIA, Ohio (Court TV) — Melissa Waybright had quite a home library of movies.
Too bad the flicks were all filched from actual lending libraries, according to police.
Officers reportedly found hundred of videos and DVDs in Waybright's home. The movies were stacked on shelves, in boxes, and on the floor, according to police. Waybright, 24, was indicted last month on charges of receiving stolen property, grand theft and two counts of forgery.
Waybright, a mother of three, is accused of stealing between $7,000 and $10,000 worth of mostly children's movies from several libraries in Clermont and Brown counties.
Authorities claim Waybright signed up for several library cards using fake names. Waybright allegedly took the movies for her and her children's personal use, according to prosecutors.
Waybright is due back in Clermont County court on March 1. As far as other film fans are concerned, the case has something of a happy Hollywood ending: All the recovered movies have been returned to the libraries.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Metal thief leaves behind tell-tale clue
CORVALLIS, Ore. (Court TV) — Suspected scrap metal thief Robert Dale Howey really stepped in it.
A boot track left in a cow pie at the scene of one robbery reportedly matched a boot track Howey left at another crime scene earlier this month, according to police. Howey has since been linked to several metal thefts in three different counties, police said.
The pie print was a key development in an investigation that began with an unusual roadside sighting.
Early on the morning of Feb. 12, Benton County Sheriff's Cpl. Jeff Wilcox drove by a pickup truck parked on the side of Highway 99W.
The truck, driven by Howey, was piled high with a dozen 50-foot sections of five-inch irrigation pipe, according to Wilcox. The pipe was reportedly sticking out some 15 feet on both ends of the truck.
It also struck the officer as odd that a farmer would be doing irrigation maintenance at 3 a.m.
Wilcox reportedly then noticed that a nearby fence had been cut. Howey admitted that he cut the fence and went into the adjoining field to steal the pipe, according to police.
Police believe Howey was attempting to steal the piping to sell it to a scrap metal buyer. A receipt reportedly showed that Howey got $164 for a load of scrap he sold to a yard in Salem, including $151 for irrigation pipe, police said.
Howey was arrested and spent a night in jail. He was released pending trial.
Howey's theft sounded familiar to two other deputies who had recently investigated incidents of stolen irrigation pipe. So deputies met with Howey, hoping to clear up the unsolved cases.
Howey reportedly initially denied any involvement. But the pie print proved pivotal.
Deputy Rick Fontaine confronted Howey about the boot print left in a cow pie that exactly matched the pair of boots Howey was wearing when he was arrested along the highway. Faced with the excrement evidence, Howey reportedly confessed to several pipe thefts.
Howey also admitted to removing about 50 one-inch bolts from a bridge over the Willamette River in hopes of removing large metal rails to sell for scrap.
Howey was charged with two counts of burglary, six counts of theft, three counts of criminal mischief and five counts of trespassing.
CORVALLIS, Ore. (Court TV) — Suspected scrap metal thief Robert Dale Howey really stepped in it.
A boot track left in a cow pie at the scene of one robbery reportedly matched a boot track Howey left at another crime scene earlier this month, according to police. Howey has since been linked to several metal thefts in three different counties, police said.
The pie print was a key development in an investigation that began with an unusual roadside sighting.
Early on the morning of Feb. 12, Benton County Sheriff's Cpl. Jeff Wilcox drove by a pickup truck parked on the side of Highway 99W.
The truck, driven by Howey, was piled high with a dozen 50-foot sections of five-inch irrigation pipe, according to Wilcox. The pipe was reportedly sticking out some 15 feet on both ends of the truck.
It also struck the officer as odd that a farmer would be doing irrigation maintenance at 3 a.m.
Wilcox reportedly then noticed that a nearby fence had been cut. Howey admitted that he cut the fence and went into the adjoining field to steal the pipe, according to police.
Police believe Howey was attempting to steal the piping to sell it to a scrap metal buyer. A receipt reportedly showed that Howey got $164 for a load of scrap he sold to a yard in Salem, including $151 for irrigation pipe, police said.
Howey was arrested and spent a night in jail. He was released pending trial.
Howey's theft sounded familiar to two other deputies who had recently investigated incidents of stolen irrigation pipe. So deputies met with Howey, hoping to clear up the unsolved cases.
Howey reportedly initially denied any involvement. But the pie print proved pivotal.
Deputy Rick Fontaine confronted Howey about the boot print left in a cow pie that exactly matched the pair of boots Howey was wearing when he was arrested along the highway. Faced with the excrement evidence, Howey reportedly confessed to several pipe thefts.
Howey also admitted to removing about 50 one-inch bolts from a bridge over the Willamette River in hopes of removing large metal rails to sell for scrap.
Howey was charged with two counts of burglary, six counts of theft, three counts of criminal mischief and five counts of trespassing.
0 likes
- TexasStooge
- Category 5
- Posts: 38127
- Joined: Tue Mar 25, 2003 1:22 pm
- Location: Irving (Dallas County), TX
- Contact:
Police nab curtain thief
MENASHA, Wis. (Court TV) — The evidence was hanging right in the window.
Police charged Megan A. Whittaker, 35, with burglary after a neighbor noticed her one-of-a-kind curtains hanging in the window of Whittaker's apartment.
Inside Whittaker's apartment, police reportedly found other stolen housewares. Many of the items had been reportedly missing in December by two other residents of the apartment complex.
One alleged burglary victim had a number of items stolen, including the curtains, tables, a vacuum cleaner and a cat-scratching post, according to a police report. The other resident reported missing her television, stereo system, a toaster and other items, according to a police report.
Whittaker was charged with two counts of felony burglary and her initial appearance in Winnebago County court is set for March 3.
Whittaker is due back in court later that month to stand trial on charges stemming from a separate ill-advised incident in which she allegedly took money from the register of a Q-Mart convenience store after showing the clerk a toy gun.
The clerk, however, easily identified Whittaker as the robber because Whittaker was a regular customer and had recently applied for a job at the store.
Whittaker, who claimed she was battling substance abuse issues at the time of the alleged incident, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Her trial is scheduled for March 16.
MENASHA, Wis. (Court TV) — The evidence was hanging right in the window.
Police charged Megan A. Whittaker, 35, with burglary after a neighbor noticed her one-of-a-kind curtains hanging in the window of Whittaker's apartment.
Inside Whittaker's apartment, police reportedly found other stolen housewares. Many of the items had been reportedly missing in December by two other residents of the apartment complex.
One alleged burglary victim had a number of items stolen, including the curtains, tables, a vacuum cleaner and a cat-scratching post, according to a police report. The other resident reported missing her television, stereo system, a toaster and other items, according to a police report.
Whittaker was charged with two counts of felony burglary and her initial appearance in Winnebago County court is set for March 3.
Whittaker is due back in court later that month to stand trial on charges stemming from a separate ill-advised incident in which she allegedly took money from the register of a Q-Mart convenience store after showing the clerk a toy gun.
The clerk, however, easily identified Whittaker as the robber because Whittaker was a regular customer and had recently applied for a job at the store.
Whittaker, who claimed she was battling substance abuse issues at the time of the alleged incident, has pleaded not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. Her trial is scheduled for March 16.
0 likes
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests