The Stupid Crimes & Misdemeanors Thread

[TexasStooge]

Police find cocaine hidden in coconuts

LONDON, England (Reuters) - Customs say they found half a tonne of cocaine hidden in a consignment of coconuts.

The nuts had been imported from Guyana and delivered to a London food market, Customs said on Friday.

Six men were arrested.

[TexasStooge]

Man Allegedly Bites Dog As Punishment

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) - A man has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly biting his Jack Russell terrier as punishment, and police say he used a 200-pound bull mastiff in an attempt to keep back officers who arrived to arrest him.

The mother of Mount Lee Lacy's girlfriend called police because she was concerned about an argument between him and her daughter about Lacy's unusual discipline method for his dog Lady.

Officers kicked down the apartment door when they heard an argument and a barking dog. Lacy was holding the mastiff named Breaker on a taut leash six feet inside the door. The officers drew their guns but didn't fire.

Lacy, 21, was handcuffed and jailed Saturday on one count each of felony animal cruelty and resisting arrest without violence. He remained in the Alachua County Jail on $25,000 bail Tuesday.

"He said that biting the dog was good punishment and that's how you train them, that dogs bite so that's what they understand," Sgt. Keith Kameg said. "When an officer went to check on (Lady), she was cowering in the back of her crate as if the officer was going to hurt her."

Police reported Lady's left front paw was bloody from a bite. Jack Russell terriers normally weight 10 to 16 pounds.

"If you are inflicting injury or breaking skin, or the dog is responding to pain, you are not doing any good," said Pepe Peruyero, a former police officer who operates a dog training school in nearby High Springs.
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Information from: The Gainesville Sun

[TexasStooge]

Alleged Serial Robber Linked to Beer Can

COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) - Another reason not to drink on the job. A suspect in at least two dozen Columbus-area armed robberies was arrested after police linked him to a can of beer.

A witness to one home invasion told investigators that the robber was seen carrying an Icehouse beer in a paper bag. Based on that information, investigators looked at surveillance videotapes from nearby convenience stores and saw 25-year-old Mario Demarcus Brundidge buying the beer just 30 minutes before Nov. 9 robbery.

The witness later identified Brundidge out of a lineup, said Columbus Police Maj. Russell Traino.

Brundidge pleaded not guilty Monday to 20 counts of armed robbery, four counts of false imprisonment, three counts of aggravated assault, as well as multiple theft and weapons charges. He was being held without bond at Muscogee County Jail.

Investigators have linked him to at least 24 armed robberies dating back to 2002, and more charges may be filed if they tie him to other cases, Traino said. Police also were looking for five others who may have been Brundidge's accomplices in the robberies.

"It was plain-out good police work," Traino said. "We hope the rash of armed robberies should come to a halt in Columbus for awhile."

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Information from: Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

[TexasStooge]

Man Picks Bad Spot for Alleged Drug Deal

NEZPERCE, Idaho (AP) - A man picked the wrong location for an alleged drug deal. Telling an eyewitness to mind his own business was also not a good idea. It was in front of the home of Lewis County's sheriff-elect, who was sitting on his front porch.

"They really picked the wrong house to be in front of," said Phil Steen, who will be sworn into office next month.

Steen had only lived in the home about three weeks when he decided to enjoy the Saturday evening air. But some suspicious activity on the street impaired his view.

Steen saw what he thought was a drug deal in the street. When those involved noticed him watching, they simply told him to "look away," Steen said.

Instead of looking elsewhere, Steen ran the suspects' license plates. It led to a search of two houses and a vehicle, then the arrest of James MacArthur, 46.

MacArthur is charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of drug paraphernalia.

About 16 grams of marijuana was confiscated, along with a rifle and a shotgun, Steen said. The investigation is continuing.

[TexasStooge]

Would-Be Thief Is Duct-Taped to Pole

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - A would-be thief got a taste of his own medicine in Guyana when he was caught and attached to a utility pole with the same duct tape he intended to use to bind a family and rob them, police said Tuesday.

Sabanah Gravesande, 13, was watching television at her home Monday in the capital of Georgetown when two men entered her family's house and tried to tape her mouth shut, police said.

Neighbors heard her screams as she and her grandmother scuffled with the men, authorities said. Neighbors came to their assistance and caught one of the unidentified men, tying him by the neck to a nearby utility pole with the tape until police arrived and took him away.

His legs and hands were also duct-taped as hundreds of people looked on, some openly guffawing at the spectacle.

Police said they would charge the man later this week, indicating that he was a cocaine abuser trying to raise money to support his addiction.

Guyana, a former British colony in South America, has a population of 700,000.

[TexasStooge]

Man allegedly stole Dallas Police Department tactical gear

By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA ABC 8

DALLAS, Texas - A Dallas man is in jail, accused of breaking into a police car and stealing thousands of dollars in SWAT team rifles and gear.

Police said Christopher Castillo, 20, managed to break the windows out of a Dallas police squad car, then pry the back seat away from its base to get access to the trunk. They're not sure what Castillo was planning to do with the equipment.

The stolen tactical gear, valued at more than $6,000, included a SWAT team officer's uniform and an automatic machine gun.

"He used some force to try and pry that seat back," said Dallas Police Lt. Edwin Ruiz-Diaz. "We had weapons in there of different sorts ... rifles, non-lethal weapons, equipment he would use in responding to any type of equipment of SWAT call-out."

Police said the officer's car was sitting in his driveway when Castillo broke into it Sunday morning. Sheriff's deputies serving a warrant on a probation violation stumbled onto Castillo and the equipment at a relative's home on Tuesday morning.

Authorities believe Castillo more than likely didn't act alone. While serving the warrant, deputies also found some other items in the house to indicate he had some help.

"(They found) Large items, refrigerators and washers, and that sort of thing," Ruiz-Diaz said.

The weapons that were stolen will be checked to make sure they weren't used in a crime while they were missing.

Police said the officer followed proper procedures and did nothing wrong. They are concerned about the burglary, especially since Dallas police officers will soon begin carrying AR-15 assault rifles in their cars. Commanders said they will examine the department's procedures, and look for ways to strengthen the security of squad cars.

"We are looking at adding alarms to our vehicles," Ruiz-Diaz said.

Police said they want to make sure none of their police equipment gets into the wrong hands and is used against the citizens officers are sworn to protect.

[TexasStooge]

Police Find Marijuana Stashed in Coffins

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A routine traffic stop turned into a drug bust when Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers found 610 pounds of marijuana stashed in four coffins.

Authorities say Timothy Hynd and Robert Dean Harper were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute before being released on Monday.

The arrest occurred on Sunday, highway patrol spokesman Lt. Brandon Kopepasah said, after troopers stopped a truck traveling slightly above the speed limit near the rural city of Salisaw.

The men consented to a search, and trained dogs "hit" on the cargo section of the truck, he said.

"They unloaded 22 caskets," Kopepasah said. "You had to unload all those caskets and the very front caskets were loaded with marijuana."

An attorney for one of the men said his client was unaware there was marijuana in the caskets and was only delivering them.

"He didn't check inside the caskets for drugs -- would you?" attorney Donn Baker said.

[TexasStooge]

Cops: Man Takes Squad Car, Crashes, Sleeps

ATHENS, Tenn. (AP) - An armed robbery suspect used the arrest of his partner as a diversion to steal a new patrol car, crash into a ditch, break into a woman's home and then fall asleep on her couch, authorities said.

Robert Bell was arraigned on a variety of charges after the spree that began with the hold up of a market early Wednesday, said McMinn County Sheriff Steve Frisbie. The other suspect charged is Patrick C. Elswood.

After hitting the market, the two robbers stole a Ford Bronco and led authorities chasing them into Athens. They ran the Bronco into a fence and struck a parked car.

The pair jumped out of the car and tried to run away as an officer got out of his cruiser to chase them on foot.

Authorities said Ellswood tried to attack the officer, who shot him with a stun gun.

But Bell got into the officer's cruiser and drove off — and then into the ditch, causing $3,200 damage to a car that had been in service only a week.

"In defense of the deputy, this was a felony stop and if he had turned off the car and taken out the keys, he probably wouldn't have stopped the man," Frisbie said. "It was a split-second decision."

Bell was captured after the woman who lived in the house he broke into called police to say he had passed out, reeking of alcohol.

Bell and Ellswood refused to give authorities their ages or addresses. They are charged with armed robbery, evading arrest, theft, criminal impersonation, unlawful possession of a weapon and several other crimes.
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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press

[TexasStooge]

Santa Cited for Marijuana Possession

HIGHLAND PARK, Mich. (AP) - A man who visited a middle school dressed as Santa Claus on Thursday left with a citation for misdemeanor marijuana possession.

The 40-year-old Detroit man faces up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine after a small plastic bag of marijuana was found in the pocket of his street coat, which he left in a school restroom, Wayne County Sheriff's Department officials said.

A deputy who works at the school found the marijuana while searching the coat for identification after a teacher found it in the bathroom. The man dressed as Santa approached the deputy a short time later and identified the coat.

The man denied the pot was his. His wife, who was at the school to take pictures of Santa with the students, apparently did not know the marijuana was in her husband's coat, officials said.

"She was not happy," Lt. Paul Jones said. "It's going to be a long ride back to the North Pole."

[TexasStooge]

Voyeur's hairy feet lead to his arrest

GREENSBORO, N.C. (Court TV) - A woman in the locker room of a local YMCA in Greensboro, N. C., thought something strange was afoot when she noticed a pair of hairy feet in the next shower stall.

The unshaven limbs belonged to David Herbert Witham, 43, who allegedly sneaked into the women's locker room at the Mary Perry Ragsdale YMCA Dec. 7 and attempted to spy on its occupants, according to Captain David Powell of the Guilford County Sheriff's Department.

Powell said no one was able to determine how long Witham had been in the shower stall, but the Peeping Tom was exposed when the woman saw his hairy feet.

"She noticed them because of the gap underneath the shower stall's door," Powell said. "She did not believe them to be the feet of a woman."

The woman notified locker-room attendants, who discovered Witham. He was reportedly caught with a small handheld mirror, which he used to spy on women who were showering in other stalls.

YMCA staff contacted police and Witham was placed under arrest. According to Powell, the father of two attempted to explain how he ended up in the women's locker room.

"He says he accidentally walked in there," Powell said. "He thought it was the family locker room."

Witham was charged with secretly peeping in the room of a female. He was released after posting $1500 bond.

[TexasStooge]

Thief steals church's collection money

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Court TV) - It's unclear if Willie L. Bell plans to attend church to atone for his sin, but authorities in Buffalo, N.Y., are certain that he'll make amends in jail first.

Bell, 26, was arrested and charged with robbery after he walked into St. Gerard's Catholic Church Dec. 10 and reportedly stole the collection basket.

Buffalo Police Lieutenant John King said mass was already underway when Bell snatched the collection basket, which contained $360, and fled on foot. But the church's parishioners gave chase.

Two officers driving by noticed Bell running down the street and the posse of parishioners in hot pursuit. The officers joined the chase and apprehended the suspect a few blocks from his home.

Bell was charged with third-degree armed robbery.

"With that many witnesses, he'll probably plead guilty," King said.

The basket and cash were returned to the church.

[TexasStooge]

Elderly woman battles purse-snatcher

SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (Court TV) - Marcus Gendrew thought a 90-year-old great-grandmother was an easy robbery target, but she turned out to be a nightmare.

Authorities in Sycamore Township, Ohio, say Gendrew, 26, approached the woman near a local grocery store Dec. 15 and offered to help carry her groceries. Instead, he allegedly stole her purse and fled. But his victim was not far behind.

"She chased him through the parking lot to the car and demanded her purse back," said Steve Barnett of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. "She's a very feisty woman."

The woman, whose name was not released, reportedly held on to Gendrew's car door until he gave her the purse. The thwarted robber fled, but the would-be victim-turned-crime-stopper noted the car's description and copied the license plate number.

Patrol cars spotted the car, which turned out to be stolen, and pursued the suspect when he refused to stop. The chase ended when Gendrew crashed the car into an embankment.

Gendrew was arrested and charged with robbery, receiving stolen property and failure to comply with police.

[TexasStooge]

Parachuting Guinea Pig Prankster Caught

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - An Indiana University student has admitted tossing a guinea pig tied to a makeshift parachute out of an eighth-floor dormitory, police said.

The 19-year-old student, who could face a felony charge of animal cruelty, told IU police that Thursday's incident was a "prank gone bad."

IU police officer Brice Boembeke said the student told police he had intended to retrieve his pet once it floated to safety, but it got stuck in a tree on the way down.

Janitors at Briscoe Quadrangle rescued the animal, which was slightly injured.

Boembeke said the student admitted throwing his pet out the window of an eighth-floor dorm room across the hallway from his own as other students egged him on.

"It seemed like one of those things where somebody had an idea, and it was taken to the next level," he said. "It definitely got out of hand."

A felony charge of animal cruelty has been forwarded to the Monroe County prosecutor's office for review, but no charge had been filed as of Friday afternoon.

Jason Eller, a Bloomington animal control officer, said the student could be ordered to pay a $500 fine for cruelty to an animal. Boembeke said the student might also face some type of disciplinary action from IU.

The guinea pig is doing well at the Bloomington Animal Shelter, where staff named the rodent Noel in honor of the holiday season, said shelter manager Leigh Ann Hoffacker.

[TexasStooge]

Robbery Note Has Thief's Address on Back

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (AP) - Call it the case of the perfect clue. A man handed a note demanding money to a teller at the Wells Fargo Bank Thursday, took the money and fled.

Left behind was the note — written on the back of a paper from the state probation and parole department, complete with the man's name on it, Deputy Police Chief Brian O'Keefe said Friday.

The 60-year-old man was soon in custody. He was on parole for bank robbery.
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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

[TexasStooge]

Drunk Salvation Army Bell Ringer Arrested

DENVER, Colo. (AP) - An intoxicated Salvation Army bell ringer with a history of public drinking was arrested after getting into a fight with an employee at a grocery store where he was collecting donations.

David Duncan, 46, was arrested Thursday on 11 outstanding warrants after he got into a fight with the Safeway worker, police detective Teresa Garcia said.

Nine of the 11 warrants were for public consumption of alcohol, Garcia said. Two were for trespass.

Duncan was a temporary Salvation Army employee and had undergone an interview but not a background check, Salvation Army spokeswoman Becky O'Guin said. The group hires about 1,000 bell ringers in the Denver area each Christmas season and doesn't have the time or money for background checks, she said.

O'Guin said Duncan was in his second season working as a bell ringer and had no history of violent incidents. He was fired after his arrest, she said.

"Had we known about these outstanding warrants, we would never have hired him," O'Guin said.

[TexasStooge]

Twins Swap Identities for Jail Break

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - Brotherly love was put to the test this week after two 18-year-old identical twins swapped their clothing and traded places so that one could escape jail.

But prison and police officials were not impressed by the gesture when one of the brothers, serving a 10-month sentence for assault and robbery, walked out to freedom.

The inmate walked out of the Kronoberg Jail, which is located in the same building that houses the headquarters for Stockholm's police department, undetected on Monday after a visit by his twin brother.

During a visit, the two siblings, neither of whom were named, managed to switch their outfits without anyone noticing.

After visiting hours ended, the inmate walked out, pretending to be his brother. Faced with the prospect of spending the night in jail, his brother admitted the ruse to prison guards.

"We knew there was a certain risk of a mix up, so we took some measures," said Lars-Aake Pettersson, the warden for the jail. "But this was apparently not enough. They managed to dupe us."

The only noticeable difference between the two twins was a birthmark on the face of the one doing time, but that was taken care of with an ink pen.

The visiting brother was questioned and released, but could face charges of aiding in a prison escape.

His brother? Police said he was still on the run.

[TexasStooge]

Juror Ends Up Jailed for Lying About 'Son'

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) - A juror has ended up behind bars. Rachelle Thomas told a judge in Cincinnati last year that she couldn't serve on a jury because she had to take her son to a doctor's appointment. But she had already filled out a juror's questionnaire and wrote she had no children.

Thomas was sentenced to nine days in jail for contempt, but moved to Nevada. This week she returned to Cincinnati to clear up the matter. She pleaded no contest to the contempt charge. Thomas was ordered to complete her jail sentence, perform 200 hours of community service and pay a $250 fine.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Dennis Helmick sentenced Thomas, 31, on Monday.

When Thomas told Helmick in May 2003 that she couldn't serve, he excused her rather than taint other potential jurors. Later, he issued a contempt-of-court warrant for her arrest and sentenced her to nine days in jail, a period equal to the rest of her jury obligation.

Thomas was released on bond after serving three days. The 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals overturned her sentence in February, saying the judge violated her civil rights when he jailed her without a hearing.

A contempt hearing was scheduled for October, but when Thomas failed to appear, Helmick ordered her arrest.

Thomas, who now lives in Nevada, returned Monday to enter her no contest plea and receive her sentence.

Thomas, who said she was under pressure at work when she lied to the judge, apologized in a letter to Helmick.

"Due to a series of highly stressful events going on in my life during my (jury) service, I made a perilous error in judgment," she wrote.

Helmick chastised Thomas for her actions.

"There are minimal duties imposed on citizens, and one is being a juror," Helmick said. "I understand you had a research project. If you would have said that, I would have taken it into consideration. We trust jurors to be honest."

[TexasStooge]

Alleged Fake Stewardess Gets Jail, Lashes

SINGAPORE (AP) - A Myanmar man has been sentenced by a Singapore court to four years in prison and six lashes with a cane after posing as a stewardess to pick up men in nightclubs and then stealing from them, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

Chan Zo Zo, 24, prowled Singapore's nightclubs to find his victims, calling himself "Michelle" and claiming he was a flight attendant, The Straits Times newspaper said.

Chan then swiped credit cards, cash and cell phones from the men while they were asleep in a spree that began in September 2003 and ended in August this year, the report said.

Among his victims were two Britons, a Japanese and a Belgian man, the paper said. It wasn't clear whether they knew he was a man.

Chan, a former student in Singapore, was jailed Monday after pleading guilty to four counts of cheating, theft and overstaying without a valid visa, the paper said.

[TexasStooge]

Robbers Have More Than Cash on Their Minds

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) - Six pistol-toting Brazilian men appeared to have more than cash on their minds when they robbed a drug store in Rio de Janeiro.

"They specifically demanded that we give them anti-impotence drugs. These drugs and the money was what interested them," Ailton de Souza, the drugstore manager, told Reuters on Tuesday.

On Sunday night, the robbers opened the vault with a blow torch and fled with an equivalent of about $7,000 in cash and checks, as well as more than 100 boxes containing 400 pills worth about $2,600 -- enough for a two-month sex marathon for each of the six robbers.

"They were pretty indiscriminate about the brands," the manager said, explaining that the men took packages of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra.

The drugs, used to treat erectile dysfunction, are sold prescription-free in most Brazilian pharmacies.

[TexasStooge]

Women Allegedly Assault Man With Tongs

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Police are looking for two women they say sexually assaulted a man with a pair of cooking tongs in a drug-related attack.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan police say the victim, a 25-year-old man, awoke Saturday morning with a metal object protruding from his body.

The victim, who police say was using cocaine at the time, told police he does not remember much of what happened.

He told doctors he was drinking and using cocaine at his mobile home Friday night when he saw two women outside his home and invited them in.

The victim's cousin took him to Memorial Health University Medical Center Saturday after he complained of pain. Doctors surgically removed an object identified as "one half of a pair of food tongs," and turned it over to police.

No information was available on the man's condition, according to a hospital spokesman.

The two women are wanted on aggravated sexual battery charges, but police say they aren't having much luck finding them.

"We have no descriptions of the women, being that (the victim) is not cooperating with the police," police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said. "And there's little we can do to urge cooperation."
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Information from: Savannah Morning News