The Stupid Crimes & Misdemeanors Thread

[TexasStooge]

Man Allegedly Steals Shoes, Underwear

BILLINGS, Montana (AP) - A Joliet man is accused of breaking into the home of a female acquaintance to steal her shoes and underwear.

Jesse Leggett, 31, was charged Monday with felony burglary for the alleged break-in Friday night. His arraignment is scheduled Thursday in District Court.

Leggett was arrested Friday night outside the woman's home northeast of Billings after authorities said they found her shoes and underwear in his car. Leggett initially said the clothing belonged to him, court records state.

Prosecutors say Leggett broke a kitchen window to get inside the house. In court records, prosecutors say Leggett admitted to stealing the clothes because he has a fetish and could not help himself.

[TexasStooge]

Naked Man Shot, Crashes Squad Car Into Bus

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. (AP) - A police officer shot a naked man who then took off in the officer's police vehicle and crashed into a bus in downtown Philadelphia during Tuesday's afternoon rush hour, authorities said.

The officer noticed the man walking around 9th and Market streets around 5 p.m. and the two got into an altercation, authorities said. The officer shot the man after he was attacked, police said.

After being shot, the suspect jumped in the officer's police vehicle and fled, eventually striking a New Jersey Transit bus a block away.

The man and the officer were both taken to the hospital. Their identities and information on their conditions were not immediately released.

[TexasStooge]

Man Accused of Sabotaging Doc's Messages

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - The founder of a company that runs answering services for doctors allegedly tried to destroy a competitor by hacking into the firm's computer so that patients got a busy signal or heard moaning when they tried to call their doctors.

Gerald Martin, 37, was charged with computer tampering and possession of a forged instrument. If convicted, he could serve up to seven years in prison.

Stuart Hayman, president of the Westchester County Medical Society, said the alleged crime "could have prevented thousands of patients from reaching their physicians in emergency situations."

One patient in California had to be rushed to an emergency room after failing to reach a doctor because of the alleged interference, District Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Tuesday.

Martin allegedly hacked into the computer for three days in November. Patients either heard a busy signal or "groaning, moaning in a sexual nature," Pirro said. Martin could not be reached for comment.

[TexasStooge]

Thieves Use Saw to Chop Up Artwork

PUNALUU, Hawaii (AP) - A group of thieves went to a lot of trouble to steal a piece of artwork here.

Authorities believe robbers used a circular power saw to cut up a 20-foot-long mural that artist Herb Kawainui Kane created in 1973 in a now-unoccupied building.

Authorities say more than one person must have participated in the theft because the mural, which was likely cut into five pieces, would have been too big for a single person to handle.

If thieves did use a power saw to cut the mural up, that would have required a portable generator, since power to the buildings was turned off.

"It's a very unusual situation. I can't think of any time in the art world where this has happened," Kane said. "It's quite unique."

If someone wanted to install it in his home, they would have to have a special room built and arrange for people install it, Kane said. This could lead to someone finding the artwork, Kane said.

Kane's work depicts chiefs, warriors and commoners at Punaluu's famed black sand beach. He painted the mural inside the Ka`u History Center, which has been unoccupied in recent years.

[TexasStooge]

After Chase, Man Ends Up in Own Courtroom

YANKTON, S.D. (AP) - An Iowa man who led officers on a highway chase that ended at the Clay County Courthouse Wednesday ran inside and tried to barricade himself in the courtroom where he was scheduled to appear, authorities said.

The Clay County Sheriff's Office was asked to help find a pickup truck suspected in a hit-and-run accident on Interstate 29 in Union County.

A state Highway Patrol officer Wednesday was pursuing the vehicle on Highway 50 into Vermillion, where the man stopped the truck in the middle of the street and backed into the courthouse retaining wall, said Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe.

"It seemed to just get more and more strange," Howe told KVHT radio in Yankton Wednesday. "Typically the pursuits don't come right to us as this one did. Officers actually left the sheriff's office and the police department to go assist with the pursuit, only to find themselves right back here."

Jada Coover, of Sioux City, Iowa, had been scheduled to appear at the courthouse on charges of attempting to tamper with anhydrous ammonia, which is used to make methamphetamine.

After stopping the truck, Coover jumped out, ran into the courthouse and headed upstairs to the courtroom. The judge in his case had just dismissed the jury, and jurors were leaving the room as Coover burst in, Howe said.

Officers cleared the hallways and asked people to leave the building.

"He attempted to barricade himself in by holding the door shut, but officers were able to get in and take him into custody," Howe said.

Coover was arrested on charges including failure to appear, felony eluding, driving under the influence and disorderly conduct. He is also wanted on outstanding warrants for possession of meth and burglary tools from Woodbury and Sioux counties in Iowa, Howe said.

He was being held Wednesday on $25,000 bond.

[TexasStooge]

Police: Man left notes asking women to strip

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. (Court TV) - Police say each of each of Nicholas Koger's 12 notes was handwritten, the writing style a little different, but the intent was always clear: "Remove your panties or else."

Authorities in Osceola County, Fla., arrested Koger on July 15 and charged him with six felony counts of written threats to kill or do bodily injury. Koger allegedly wrote notes to women asking them to take off their underwear and leave them in the space where their cars were parked.

Sheriff's spokesperson Twis Lizasuain said Koger first struck in 2000, but investigators had no leads and closed the case. The investigation was reopened when 11 new incidents were reported between February and May of 2005 by six women from Osceola and five others from surrounding jurisdictions.

According to a police document, Koger, 27, allegedly targeted women in public parking lots. He would wait for the victim to leave her car and then leave a note on the windshield or between the front driver and rear passenger doors. Although the notes were written differently, the message was always the same.

"He would order them to leave their underwear or pantyhose in the parking space and threaten to harm them if they didn't," Lizasuain said. "But none of the women have told us that they complied."

Koger was arrested after Osceola authorities installed surveillance cameras in the parking lot of the hospital, where he targeted six of his victims. Although investigators did not get a clear view of Koger's face, they were able to identify his vehicle.

Koger was held on $15,000 bond. He paid part of that amount and was released the day of his arrest.

[TexasStooge]

'Wannabe cop' steals police squad car

CHICAGO, Ill. (Court TV) - Miguel Espinosa may have been desperate to get to work, but it's unlikely that his job will be waiting for him following his recent exploit.

According to Chicago police, Espinosa stole a marked police squad car on July 14 to get to work.

Police spokesperson Patrick Camden said the empty car was unlocked and parked outside of a local store when the 38-year-old Espinosa walked by at around 7:00 p.m. and decided that he needed a quick way to get to his job. Camden would not comment on the whereabouts of the officers assigned to the car.

Espinosa allegedly drove the car to his job at a local bakery and later left the site with the vehicle at about 3:00 a.m. after ending his shift. He then decided to impersonate a police officer.

According to Camden, on the way home, Espinosa stopped to help a citizen with an injured dog. He allegedly told the woman that he was a cop. When an animal control unit arrived at the scene and tried to obtain an incident report, Espinosa gave them the wrong form. One of the animal control officers contacted the real police.

"Maybe he wanted to be a police [officer]. But other than stupidity, there's no excuse for what he did," Camden said about the theft.

Espinosa was arrested and charged with auto theft and impersonating a police. He's in the Cook County Jail on $350,000 bond.

[TexasStooge]

Police Say Ferris Wheel Operator Was Drunk

LEBANON, Ohio (AP) - A man who police say was operating a ferris wheel under the influence of alcohol has been arrested and charged with endangering children.

Steven Berry, 47, of Columbus, was arrested Thursday night at the Warren County Fair in southwest Ohio, according to a statement released Friday by the sheriff.

Berry, who is employed by Triple Treat Shows of Cincinnati, remained in the Warren County jail Friday night, with bond set at $1,000, a booking clerk said.

A ride operator alerted deputies that Berry appeared to have been drinking, said Sgt. Tony Workman.

Berry's blood alcohol level was .114 when he was arrested, and there were children on the ride at the time of the arrest, the release said. The legal limit for driving a car in Ohio is .08.

There was no answer Friday night to calls to the Warren County Fair Board. A message seeking comment was left at the offices of Triple Treat Shows.

Lebanon is about 25 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

[TexasStooge]

Women Pushing Car Charged With DUI

PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) - Two women who took turns steering a broken-down vehicle face drunk driving charges after their slow-moving car crashed into a parked car.

Kaylyn Kezy, 34, of Gary, was pushing the disabled car, while Melissa Fredenburg, 32, of Chesterton, steered from the passenger seat, police said. The two were moving the car into a parking lot at a nearby motel early Friday in the city about 10 miles east of Gary.

Police said both women had a blood-alcohol levels of 0.17 percent, more than twice the state's legal limit to drive.

Authorities said the women were operating the vehicle while intoxicated — even though the car's engine wasn't working.

A prosecutor acknowledged the charges could be difficult to prosecute in court.

"The statute and case law supports (a DUI charge) ... but it will be interesting to see," said Deputy Prosecutor Adam Burroughs, who authorized the charges.

Burroughs said that the office had prosecuted drunken drivers who were stopped in restaurant drive-through lanes or who were on private property. Bicycles and motorized wheelchairs are about the only vehicles in which a person would be unlikely to face a drunken-driving charge, he said.
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Information from: The Times

[TexasStooge]

Thief Picks Wrong Place to Rob

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) - With an FBI office a few floors above him and the agent in charge waiting in line for his morning coffee, Andrew Johnson picked the wrong coffee shop to rob.

Carl Spicocchi, head of the FBI's Toledo office, and the coffee shop manager grabbed the thief who struggled as others helped subdue the man on Monday.

Police charged Johnson, 34, of Toledo, with robbery and felony vandalism. Authorities said he later kicked out the back window of a police car.

Spicocchi first thought Johnson was an employee until the store manager confronted him. Johnson then jumped over the counter and threw the store manager into a juice machine, police said.

Spicocchi and two others tried to get Johnson on the ground, police said. Spicocchi said he called 911, and other FBI agents in the building came down and handcuffed Johnson.
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Information from: The Blade

[TexasStooge]

Amish Teen Charged With Stealing Numbers

HUNTSBURG, Ohio (AP) - Callers complaining about loud music coming from a buggy led deputies to charge a 19-year-old Amish man with stealing house numbers and flower pots. David Byler was charged with theft and underage consumption of alcohol, both misdemeanors.

Callers to the Geauga County sheriff's office told dispatchers early Sunday about a buggy playing loud music and stealing items from outside houses in a rural area of northeast Ohio.

"When our officer caught up with him in the middle of the road, there were flower pots and house numbers in the buggy," sheriff's spokesman John Hiscox said.
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Information from: The News-Herald

[TexasStooge]

Woman Who Lied to Get on Jury Sentenced

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Many people want to get off jury duty so badly that they consider stretching the truth to do so. Not Celeste Johnson. She lied to get on a jury, and now she's paying the price.

Johnson was sentenced Wednesday by a Superior Court judge to 90 days of home confinement for lying about her criminal record during jury selection for an armed robbery trial.

She was convicted last month of criminal contempt and admits that during jury selection in January, she lied about her arrest record and the arrest records of her family.

Johnson, 39, of Providence, is free on personal recognizance until a hearing next month. She was also ordered to pay a $250 fine.

The armed robbery trial ended in a hung jury in February. Johnson was the only juror voting for acquittal. Assistant Attorney General Bethany Macktaz said she saw Johnson smiling and nodding to the defendant when the verdict was announced.

The defendant in that case was later convicted on 16 counts.

[TexasStooge]

Escaped convict caught stealing policewoman's bag

BRUSSELS, Germany (Reuters) - An escaped convict was caught by police in Brussels when he tried to steal the handbag of an off-duty policewoman, police said Wednesday.

The 34-year-old man, who had been on the run for the past month, was caught by another off-duty officer Tuesday after failing to snatch the woman's bag.

He had assaulted the woman as she and the officer were going home from work a few blocks away from a police station. They were both in civilian dress.

The convict's previous crime and the sentence he was serving for it at a prison near the capital were not immediately known.

[TexasStooge]

Man goes on rampage in tax office

BELGRADE, Serbia (Reuters) - After twice receiving a tax bill, an enraged Serb stormed the tax office, started shooting and tried to set the tax chief and the building on fire, Serb media reported Friday.

Nebojsa Miladinovic, a saw-mill owner in his fifties, tried for days to convince tax officials in the central town of Gornji Milanovac he had paid his 192,200 dinar ($2,794) bill. They said he had not, sent the bill again and blocked his bank account.

After arguing his case Thursday, Miladinovic returned, doused tax chief Gojko Stefanovic and the office files with petrol, shot at computers and yelled "I was ripped off."

Two people were injured in the melee and parts of the office caught fire, with panicked staff escaping through the windows.

Police arrested Miladinovic, whom neighbors described as a hard worker who never made trouble. Witnesses said he even paid for parking his car in front of the tax office before the rampage.

[TexasStooge]

Man Allegedly Makes False Abduction Report

FONTANA, Calif. (AP) - A man was arrested Thursday for allegedly making a false police report that his niece was in his car when it was stolen in hopes that the vehicle would be found quickly.

Trevon Smith, 18, initially reported a 4-year-old niece was in the back seat of his 1995 blue Toyota Camry when the car was stolen around 2:15 p.m. from a gas station, police said. An Amber Alert was quickly issued but was called off about two hours later when it was determined the girl had not been in the car.

The auto theft was videotaped by the gas station's security camera.

"When we brought him to the station, it was determined that he was lying," said Officer Trish Coyle. "His car was stolen, but there was never any child in the back seat."

Smith told police he reported his niece was kidnapped because he thought it would help him get his car back, Coyle said.

Coyle said the girl's mother came to the police station and told detectives that her daughter was safe and had never been kidnapped.

Authorities were still searching for the Camry. Authorities said the car had a California license plate, 4SBJ962, with tinted windows and a sticker of a dove in the rear window. Smith told police that his car's gas tank was close to empty and he had yet to fill it up when the vehicle stolen, Sgt. William Megenney.

"What this has done is tie up dozens of officers," Coyle said. "The public thinks if they exaggerate the crime, that they're going to get a quicker response."

[TexasStooge]

Tasered Mo. Grandmother Gets Probation

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A 67-year-old grandmother who was shocked with a Taser stun gun after she honked her car horn at a police cruiser has been given a year's probation for sparking a quarrel with officers.

A charge of improper use of the horn against Louise Jones was dismissed Wednesday in Kansas City Municipal Court. Her husband, Fred, 76, who became involved in the fray last year, also got one year of probation for the same charges — resisting arrest and attempting to inflict injury on an officer.

The only condition of the probation is that the couple obey all laws.

The incident, which resulted in a change in department policy and the disciplining of two officers, happened in June 2004 as police were responding to a disturbance call across the street from the couple's home. Officers said they approached Louise Jones after she honked her horn, thinking she had reported the disturbance or perhaps was in trouble. A defense witness testified the honk was accidental.

"She immediately became hostile to us," Officer Ryan VanDeusen testified. He said that she continued the verbal assault when the officers returned to their squad car.

"It was very loudy, it was antagonistic, it was very derogatory toward my partner and I," he testified.

Officer Cory LeMoine said he told Jones he could give her a ticket for honking the horn, and that a physical confrontation began after she wouldn't show him her driver's license. He said he and his partner struggled with Jones both inside and outside her house. The officers said that while VanDeusen was trying to handcuff her, Fred Jones came down the stairs and leveled his shoulder into him.

VanDeusen said he used the Taser on Louise Jones when his partner couldn't get her under control.

The Jones disputed the officers' account. Louise Jones and other defense witnesses said she wasn't confrontational and that the comments she made were directed to a friend, not to the officers.

"She says something to the neighbor across the street and the officer didn't like that," said defense attorney Basil North. "He decided he was going to teach her a lesson."

Louise Jones said she pulled away from the police when one of the officers grabbed her arm, and her husband said one of the officers had his knee on his wife's chest.

Municipal Judge Marcia K. Walsh told the couple they should fulfill their sentence easily, pointing out that Fred Jones' criminal history was perfect except for a traffic ticket.

"Your record is even better," she told Louise Jones. "You don't even have a ticket."

The couple's attorney said they plan to appeal the decision. North moved for dismissal of the horn-honking charges on grounds that the ordinance involved was worded vaguely, and the prosecutor agreed to drop it.

[TexasStooge]

Police: Man attacked 'evil' sheep statues

BILLINGS, Mont. (Court TV) - David Brian Madison may have done a very baaaaa-d thing.

Police in Billings, Mont., arrested the 40-year-old man July 6 after he allegedly vandalized four sheep statues displayed in front of local businesses.

Billings Police Lieutenant T.J. Vladic said the spree started at about 3:30 p.m., when Madison walked up to the first sheep, a life-size fiberglass creation, and tipped it over, breaking the artwork. He then moved on to three other statues before witnesses contacted police, who arrived to arrest him.

According to the newspaper, the Billings Gazette, Madison told officers at the scene that he attacked the statues because "sheep are evil and destroying our country."

The damaged sheep are part of a collection of 36 painted statues set to be auctioned off in the fall for funds to renovate a public building.

Madison pleaded not guilty at his July 8 arraignment on four counts of felony criminal mischief. He is being held on $20,000 bond.

Lt. Vladic said that two more sheep statues have been vandalized since Madison's arrest. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Billings Police Department at (406) 657-8200.

[TexasStooge]

Police: Nude man was searching for Forrest Gump's home

LITTLEVILLE, Ala. (Court TV) - Weird is as weird does.

Residents of Littleville, Ala., were treated to an unexpected sight on July 24: a naked man roaming the streets and knocking on doors. After following several leads, local authorities caught up with the unidentified man — sans clothing — in the middle of a cornfield the next day.

But more bizarre than his state of undress was his reason for being there.

According to Littleville Police Chief William Nale, the 27-year-old man told police that he was looking for the house where Forrest Gump lived.

Forrest Gump is the title character of the hit 1994 movie starring Tom Hanks.

The man told officers that he had been following rail tracks towards Southern Alabama in his attempts to find the house. After locating the house, his next quest was to find an ocean, because he had never seen one.

When asked about his nudity, the suspect said he had taken off his clothes and shoes on Sunday night because of the heat. He also told officers that he was very hungry. Nale said the man was chewing on raw corn when police found him.

The police chief added that the suspect was a resident of a mental institution in California, but had walked away in March. Police decided to withhold his name to protect his family's privacy.

The man was arrested and charged with indecent exposure. He was later taken away for a mental evaluation.

[TexasStooge]

Man reports stolen marijuana to police

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Court TV) - When Stephen Ross Knight and his girlfriend called police to report a home invasion, a little housekeeping before detectives arrived at the scene would not have been such a bad idea.

After three gun-wielding men accosted Knight in his home on July 24 and made off with his 42-inch plasma-screen television, his wallet and cell phone, and a stash of marijuana, his girlfriend, who found him tied up in the bedroom, called San Antonio police.

But police at the scene had a hard time concentrating on the crime they were called to investigate. In plain sight were several bongs, loose marijuana, a marijuana plant and an Ecstasy pill, according to an incident report.

"Just because you're a victim doesn't mean [police] can turn a blind eye to contraband in plain view," San Antonio police spokesperson Officer Joe Rios said.

When questioned about the robbery, Knight not only mentioned the stolen television, wallet and cell phone, he also listed the 82 grams of "hydro" marijuana. "Hydro" marijuana, Officer Rios explained, is a potent form of marijuana that sells for at least $5000 per pound, compared to $400-500 per pound for regular marijuana.

The victim-turned-suspect also told officers that the robbers missed a marijuana plant that his girlfriend later hid in a safe. Officer Rios said the couple consented to a search of the safe where detectives found the plant.

Knight was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance. He posted the $7000 bail and was released.

Rios said detectives were still investigating the home invasion, but have no leads in the case. The three suspects are described as Hispanic men in their early 20s.

[TexasStooge]

Women charged with DUI for pushing, steering broken-down car

PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) — Two women who took turns steering a disabled vehicle that crashed into a parked car now face drunken-driving charges.

Kaylyn Kezy, 34, was pushing the disabled car, while Melissa Fredenburg, 32, steered from the passenger seat, police said. The two were moving the car into a parking lot at a motel.

Police said the women had a blood-alcohol levels of 0.17 percent, more than twice the state's legal limit to drive. Authorities said they were operating the vehicle while intoxicated even though the car's engine wasn't running.

A prosecutor acknowledged the charges could be difficult to prosecute in court.

Deputy Prosecutor Adam Burroughs said the office has prosecuted drunken drivers who were stopped in restaurant drive-through lanes or who were on private property.

Bicycles and motorized wheelchairs are about the only vehicles in which a person would be unlikely to face a drunken-driving charge, he said.