KC man allegedly carried loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage

From Tony Rizzo:

Federal prosecutors charged a man Thursday with carrying a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage as he attempted to board a Wednesday morning flight at Kansas City International Airport.

Anthony Winn, 26, of Kansas City, was charged in U.S. District Court in Kansas City with being a felon in possession of a firearm and with attempting to carry a loaded firearm onto a commercial flight. He is being held in custody pending a Jan. 3 detention hearing.

Mo. man was kidnapped, tortured over $520 debt involving shotgun

It's your standard kidnapping-and-torture plot, though this was new:

The victim also said he was tortured with a multi-needle medical device that cut into his chest.

KC teen accused of firing AK-47 at house

From Tony Rizzo:

Authorities charged a Kansas City teenager today with firing multiple shots from an AK-47 into an eastside home. No one inside the home was injured. Nearby police officers heard the shots and saw the suspect get into a car. They quickly arrested him.

Not remotely crime-related

This is one of the goriest civil suits that I've ever seen: A Chicago woman is suing a commuter train service because she was reportedly hit by "a large portion" of another rider's body after he was hit by a train.

There was some question whether the rail service could reasonably expect that something like this could happen.

Dear Criminals: If you're going to trade meth for sex, have the decency to pay with real meth

A Salina man has seen his sentence reduced from 15 years to 12 after he successfully appealed for a retrial. His original crime: He offered meth to some teenage girls, who got one of their 13-year-old friends to have sex with him. The "meth" was actually a bag of salt.

Friday's Open Thread

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: I am leaving The Star for a new job, and Tony Rizzo will be taking over the reins on Monday. I've enjoyed hanging out here, and I want to thank everybody who's supported the blog along the way. Tony's going to do a great job, so -- in the words of the immortal Chubb Rock -- treat 'em right. 

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, please email jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Robber strikes at Bank of Weston in Kansas City, North

From Dawn Bormann:

A lone robber held up the Bank of Weston branch at 8800 N.W. 112th Street around 11:45 a.m. Thursday. The robber was described as a black male wearing a black hoodie. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 185 pounds.

Charges filed in Christmas Eve slaying

From Tony Rizzo:

Authorities charged a 20-year-old Kansas City man this morning in the Christmas Eve robbery and killing of a man in east Kansas City. Jackson County prosecutors charged Adrian M. Botello with second-degree felony murder in the shooting death of 22-year-old Joseph T. Jones.

Police found Jones shot to death in the street near 24th Street and Denver Avenue.

Law-enforcement deaths up 13 percent

This year, 173 law-enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in the United States, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports. That represents an increase of 13 percent. This is also the first time in 14 years that more officers have been killed by gunfire than traffic crashes.

Same armed robbers suspected in 10 holdups in south KC, Raytown

From Christine Vendel:

Kansas City police today said the same pair of armed robbers might be responsible for as many as 10 business hold-ups in recent weeks, including four at Church’s Chicken restaurants.

Most of the heists occurred in south Kansas City, but at least one occurred in Raytown. Police have been unable to get a description of a getaway vehicle.

“These guys are getting more and more violent,” said Robbery Detective Dawn Templeton. “It’s important we make a break in the case soon.”

$6K reward offered in unsolved KC homicide

From The Star:

The reward for information in a 2010 Kansas City homicide has increased to $6,000, authorities said today. Family and friends of the victim, Exiquio Martinez, 43, recently contributed $1,500 to the fund, Kansas City police and the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline announced today.

Police investigate assault involving a cow's thigh bone

In Hawaii, a man is accused of using what appears to be a cow's thighbone to whup a handful of other guys. The good news: He could've used the jawbone of an ass, and the body count would have much, much higher.

We proudly present this heart-warming tale of a stripper and a passed-out drunk

Most people don't realize it, but the Smoking Gun is this century's Guideposts.

Suspect: The Lord told me to shoot at cars outside strip clubs, set off fireworks in post office for Christmas

Man, I do love me some jailhouse interviews. This one, conducted by the Reno Gazette-Journal, is a masterpiece of the genre. Money Quote, in which the suspect describes what he did after the first part of his alleged crime spree:

“There’s only so much (expletive) you can do in one night,” Bennett said. “I went to bed, and slept really good that night (Sunday morning).” He then explained how he dressed in dark clothing, like he normally does when he does “stuff,” and waited until it was dark to continue his spree.

“In daylight, you get caught, it’s just common sense,” Bennett said. “I’m kinda gangsta like that.”

 

Man uses crutch to hit bikini-clad robber who put her hand in his pants

On paper, this is a criminal scheme that should have worked flawlessly.

KCPD releases name of man killed near 68th and Bales

From The Star:

Kansas City police today identified the victim of a Tuesday homicide as Kevin M. Thomason, 37, of Kansas City. Police found him in a driveway in the 6800 block of Bales Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Do you think this woman has a case?

A South Carolina woman, who became a paraplegic after a 2009 wreck, is suing a bar for allegedly failing to check her ID that night. (She was 20 at the time.) She's also suing the state transportation department for failing to maintain the shoulder along the road where she crashed.

Thursday's Open Thread

Welcome back to the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. If you've seen an interesting story somewhere else, feel free to post a link below.

As always, please follow our standard rules: Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. If you need to reach me, please email jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

KCK officer accused of shooting into occupied vehicle on Christmas

From Brad Cooper:

The shooting occurred near Mills’ home between 1 and 2 a.m. Sunday in a cul-de-sac in the 3800 block of North 112th Terrace. Mills allegedly fired into a car with multiple occupants using a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, prosecutors said. No one was hurt. One shot hit the car’s right rear quarter panel and no one is sure where the other one struck.

The officer in question is a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed against the Unified Government, the police chief and other officials.

I totally deserved to have someone run over my legs with a car

An Arizona woman -- allegedly upset by her husband's supposed infidelity -- is accused of ramming his car, running over his legs and then hopping out of her car to make fun of him, authorities tell the Arizona Republic. How did the husband respond?

The man did not want to press charges, stating "(Barker) is a good mother" and "it's my entire fault," police said.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, eephus!

This is why police always tell you to leave the crime-fighting to professionals

Christine Vendel writes about a local man who chased down a group of robbers who stole his wallet. He caught them, but that was not good news:

The victim got out of his car, fought the three male robbers and grabbed his wallet back. The female robber, however, hopped in the victim’s car and drove away.

The other three suspects got back into their maroon car and sped off.

To make matters worse, the wallet the victim had fought for was empty. The robbers had taken his $170 cash.

Platte County woman in critical condition after stabbing

From Dawn Bormann:

A 21-year-old woman remained in critical condition today after being stabbed early Monday in Ferrelview.

Authorities from the Platte County Sheriff’s Department and the Ferrelview Police Department were called to an apartment complex in Ferrelview about 3:30 a.m. Monday. Inside they found the young woman, who was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, authorities said.

Man dressed as 'Incredible Hulk' accused of selling cocaine

I, for one, think the Hulk would be a pretty formidable drug dealer. I'm guessing most of his clientele would be pretty careful about paying up. And it's not like anybody's going to rob him. The key would be making sure that he didn't sample his own product. If that happened ... watch out, world.

Town, school settle Phoebe Prince suicide case for $225K

From AP:

A lawsuit brought by the parents of Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old Irish immigrant in Massachusetts who committed suicide after relentless bullying, was settled for $225,000, according to documents made public Tuesday.

The settlement with the town of South Hadley and its school department was reached more than a year ago, but the details were kept under wraps until a journalist won a court order for the release of the information.

Hello, 911? I ate too much food

It's not clear why someone would seek the assistance of the authorities if they simply went a little overboard at chow time, though maybe this quote will clear it up ...

"She then began repeatedly yelling that she had not consumed cocaine in over a year," the affidavit states.