Remember the small-town Kansas high school students accused of tying up a black youth, shouting racial epithets and urinating on him to get him to leave their community back in May 2007?
They pleaded guilty, and could face up to one year in federal prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
| Sara Shepherd
3:35 a.m. May 6, 5000 block of South Monrovia ...
Unknown person used an explosive to damage the victim's mailbox.
The always excellent Sara Shepherd, Friend of Crime Scene, sends along a roundup of weird/disturbing/amusing things she's heard over the scanner while working nights last month.
April 16: “She advised that someone’s pumping something into her house that’s making her eyes burn. Two days ago there were people pumping something into her house with a rubber house, and they were wearing lights on their head.”
April 18: “He (the intoxicated suspect) only whistles at churchgoers”
April 20: “We’ve got that girl taking her clothes off and running around in the street...”
April 21: From something and Summit, “on a bright pink and orange house. Apparently the guy that lives there makes fireworks in his garage.”
April 24: “...apparently intoxicated, taking her clothes off and running toward the 7-11...trying to get in vehicles at the 7-11”
April 29: “Contact Ed, regarding his 14-year-old son keeps punching him, and he just had stomach surgery.”
“In regards to a black male ... he’s completely nude, running through the parking lot screaming, possibly high on drugs.”
It happened in outstate Missouri.
| Sara Shepherd
...police identified the man shot and killed Tuesday in Osawatomie.
...somebody robbed a couple businesses in KCK.
...then they led police on a chase and got caught.
...a Northland man who died on I-70 this weekend was identified.
| Sara Shepherd
Someone was shot to death in Osawatomie.
Someone was shot to death in KCK.
Someone robbed an Overland Park gas station at gunpoint and got away.
| Sara Shepherd
Some New Jersey teens were arrested after a teacher found what was believed to be a hit list targeting a couple students, a teacher ... and Chuck Norris.
Apparently they forgot that:
There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.
There are no disabled people. Only people who have met Chuck Norris.
Hat tip: Thanks for the article, JUNGLE JIM!
| Sara Shepherd
The California man tried to argue there was no stop sign at that intersection, so he showed the traffic magistrate some pictures ... of a different corner. When the court figured out he was lying, the man destroyed the photos. And he apparently lied about the whole thing in court a couple of times.
He's been convicted of two counts of perjury and one of preparing false evidence, all felonies.
So a traffic ticket that could have cost him $215 has instead become a year in jail.
10:49 a.m. Jan. 25 ... Victim advised the suspect came to her apartment and wanted her to pay money since she reported her for lying to the police during an investigation.
8:09 a.m. Jan. 24 ... Unknown stole the victim's vehicle as it was running and unlocked.
11:52 a.m. Jan. 24 ... Two one-dollar bills found in the lobby.
James "Whitey" Bulger is the Boston mobster who's been hiding from federal authorities for years now -- probably in Europe. After publicizing his mugshot, the FBI is trying something different. They're passing around audio files of his voice, hoping that somebody recognizes it. Here's a link to an MP3 recording of his voice. The reward for his arrest is $1 million.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Jim and Rizzo!
Jose Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaeda to blow up a radioactive "dirty bomb," was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years and four months on terrorism conspiracy charges that don't mention those initial allegations.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM
8:28 a.m. Jan. 21 ... An unknown subject threw a bowling ball into the windshield of the victim's vehicle.
4:41 p.m. Jan. 12 ... Victim's occupied residence was entered and a cat was taken. Victim suspects the cat burglar is ex-husband.
4:59 p.m. Jan. 8 ... Unidentified subject(s) tagged a park building and other city fixtures; included in the tagging was a Johnny on the Spot.
Personally, I think Abominable is getting a bad rap on this one. The reporting party -- an allegedly drunk woman -- apparently knocked on a neighbor's door to report the chase. Snip:
Deputies finally caught up with the woman, 36-year-old Toni Marie Zillifro, who they say they knew immediately “due to prior law enforcement encounters with her.”
Despite slurred speech and poor balance, deputies say Zillifro told them she had gotten drunk the night before at C’s Pub.
Afterwards, according to reports, she claimed “the abominable snowman chased after her and she got into a fight with him during which time she kicked him.”
Mega-Hat-Tip: Many thanks, Golfer!
At best, this is gross. At worst, it's a bias crime because the vandalism was aimed at a religious icon, authorities said.
And what are you supposed to tell the kids?
Jennifer Cooper, the daughter of the other couple whose nativity scene was defaced, said a neighbor told her what was in the display as she was on her way outside with her 18-month-old cousin to visit the scene.
"The child likes to kiss the baby Jesus before going home. I told her it was too wet," Cooper said.
But Cooper said several neighborhood children saw the nativity scene before she knew what had happened and were very upset by the sight.
-- Sara Shepherd
Hat Tip: Thanks again, Jungle Jim.
Generic nativity photo, followed by a file photo of children kissing a statue of baby Jesus under the altar of the St. Catherine's Catholic Church after a Roman Catholic Christmas Mass in Bethlehem.
Everybody was pretty well-behaved, Sgt. Rick Sticken said. Police made one arrest each for disorderly conduct, trespassing, DUI, hindering/interfering with police and stealing. (A guy reportedly grabbed an official Chiefs helmets from a vendor, and a bystander tackled him.) Officers handled one ejection.
There were three fender-benders. And there were four reports of car break-ins. In most of those cases, a purse was stolen, even though the victim had hidden it under a blanket or coat.
Sometimes, thieves hang out in parking lots and watch their victims hide valuables, Sgt. Sticken said. It's probably better to leave those sorts of things at home, if you can't carry them with you.
(Thanks again to Sgt. Sticken for his help this fall!)
This story brings us what I proclaim as the quote of the day:
That's from an O'Fallon police department spokeswoman, describing an attack in which a vanload of teens chucked a bag of you-know-what at an unlucky pregnant woman inside a drug store. Supposedly a 17-year-old defecated in the bag then handed it off to a 14-year-old to throw.
The woman wasn't hurt, just super grossed out.
Hat Tip: Thanks to Jungle Jim!
From New Zealand:
Hat Tip: Thanks, Jungle Jim! I was worried about going another day without finding a good old-fashioned naked-man story to post.
Japanese schoolgirls. Man spewing coffee all over them. Rhyme-y nickname. Cartoon interpretations of the crime.
As usual, there's a very reasonable explanation for all of this:
Hat Tip: Not sure how you came across this one, but thank you, R2D2!
An update on those Somali pirates who captured a Japanese tanker and its 22-man crew six weeks ago. Everyone -- including the 40,000 tons of highly explosive benzene aboard the vessel -- was released unharmed today, the AP reports.
The story doesn't elaborate much, but it appears the pirates gave up on getting the $1 million ransom they had been demanding.
If you're looking for more bloody pirate action, check out this earlier story from a different hostile takeover attempt back in October.
Man armed with BB gun chases off home invader wielding an AK-47.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Merlin!
9:16 p.m. Dec. 3 ... Victim was sprayed with a fire extinguisher while working at the drive-thru window.
1:06 p.m. Dec. 2 ... Unknown threw eggs and smeared dog food on the victim's house and vehicles.
In Tacoma, police have arrested a motorist who turned on his Ford Mustang's flashing blue lights, apparently impersonating an emergency vehicle as a way to get through rush-hour traffic.
The driver was arrested and later told troopers the lights and a siren were “just for show,” the State Patrol reported.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!
Sierra, a former American Idol contestant, was arrested this weekend on a disorderly intoxication charge in Tampa, Fla. She could get 11 years because this would be a violation of her previous plea agreement.
UPDATED: The St. Pete Times say Sierra allegedly tried to offer sexual favors to the arresting officers.
Basically, the suspect -- Delores Forste, 67 -- is accused of taking her 95-year-old mother home with her to California. Emma France reportedly WANTED to go, but she's a ward of the Jasper County administrator's office. So her daughter is now facing kidnapping charges.
Sounds like somebody's waging his own personal "Stop Snitching" campaign against local electronics.
Hat Tip: Many thanks to JUNGLE JIM, riskybzns, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2, Golfer and everyone else who sent this one.
Story is from Georgia. An Operation Rescue worker was arrested because he allegedly drove a truck covered with images of aborted fetuses. (Police say he also refused to show less-nasty photos instead.) Charge was disorderly conduct. Truck has been impounded, and the images removed.
I really hate these trucks, but I think Gwinnett County, Ga., is going to get to fork over a pretty big settlement.
The scene was a juvenile facility, where the kid allegedly had contraband -- a roll of ChapStick. To be clear: The pencil was sharpened. In the teen's defense, he says he didn't hurt anyone: "I did not stab anyone. I tried to, but I didn't get him."
Hat Tip: Many thanks, You're A Mean Drunk R2D2!
This is different ... An Oregon couple was arrested because they found a lost ring and allegedly decided to keep it. The charge is "first-degree aggravated theft of lost or mislaid property."
State law requires citizens to make a "reasonable effort" to return lost goods. The couple went to a jewelry store for an appraisal instead, police said.
11:37 p.m. Nov. 26 ... Unit 1 struck a decorative rock in the victim's yard and then drove away.
A male stripogram --- who goes by Sergeant Eros --- is set to stand trial later this month in Scotland for impersonating a police officer. The Sgt., a college student trying to earn extra money on the side, was arrested just before he was scheduled to perform at a fundraising event.
What's he supposed to do? Carry toy equipment --- or just give up and go as a fireman?
--- Sara Shepherd
2:19 p.m. Nov. 11 ... Suspect threatened his brother (victim) after the victim shot off one of the suspect's fireworks in the house. (Note from James -- this grew into a barricade situation that ran through most of the evening.)
12:41 p.m. Nov. 9 ... Victim wanted to file a report of harassing telephone calls she was receiving from her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend.
KCPD Sgt. Rick Sticken said police handled two disorderly conduct arrests, two nonaggravated assaults, two noninjury accidents, one loss (probably a guy's wallet) and one arrest for warrants. Police also handled three ejections from the stadium. The sergeant said the Green Bay fans were pretty friendly.
4:16 a.m. Nov. 4 ... 2 suspects drove their cars through 11 different yards leaving different levels of damage to the yards.
10:09 p.m. Nov. 4 ... A black male subject held a handgun in the air and asked the victim if he had any "dope." The victim felt threatened by this.
Michael D. Carr, 40, shot and killed a man while doing a stakeout at the car wash where Carr worked. Somebody had been stealing coins, so Carr and two other guys waited late one night to see if they could catch the thief. Carr ended up shooting James R. Skivers, 50, when he pulled his van into one of the wash bays.
On Thursday, Carr was sentenced to 10 years in prison -- he previously pleaded to voluntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. His lawyer says he's a family man with no prior record. From Carr:
“Things happened in 19 seconds,” he said. “If I could find a reset button, I’d push it.”
And the prosecution:
“They suspected him of taking some coins, and they shot him in his eye,” Hunt said. “That’s what we have the police for — they don’t run up to a car and shoot a man in the eye.”
(Sorry about the delay in posting -- Joe did a great job with the story, and I'm annoyed that I almost forgot to post this one.)
A German retiree, age 70, is accused of cutting down dozens of trees in a public forest so he could have a nicer view of the sea from his vacation cottage. (He also shortened several others.) He could be charged with property damage and breaking conservation laws.
from the Shawnee police blotter ...
5:39 p.m. Oct. 30, 187XX W. 64th St. -- Unknown suspects threw a pumpkin at the victim's mailbox causing damage.
5:42 p.m. Oct. 30 186XX W. 64th St. -- Unknown suspects threw a pumpkin at the victim's mailbox causing damage.
5:42 p.m. Oct. 30 186XX W. 64th St. -- Unknown suspects threw a pumpkin at the victim's mailbox causing damage.
“Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action.” -- Auric Goldfinger
Cincinnati police say a 43-year-old woman threatened to shoot an officer who was taking too long to write her a traffic ticket. The woman said she threatened to sue the officer.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Golfer!
From Crime Stoppers: Last night, around 11:00, U.S. Marshals and Kansas City Police attempted to arrest a federal fugitive, Ronald H. Fortner on a warrant charging him with being a convicted felon in possession of firearms. When they tried to take him into custody just south of the Country Club Plaza, he fled in his car with police in pursuit. The chase ended near 86th and Delmar in Prairie Village, Kansas when he abandoned his car and escaped on foot.
Fortner is 34 years old. He has a tattoo on his upper left arm. He should be considered armed and dangerous. His photo is attached.
Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 816-474-TIPS. A cash reward is available for information leading to his capture.
A Colorado elementary school has banned tag from its playground.
A principal explained: "It causes a lot of conflict."
| Sara Shepherd
Hat tip: Thanks to The DB!
Star reporter Christine Vendel has more today on the woman who gave birth in a McDonald's toilet -- and tried, unsuccessfuly, to flush the newborn away.
It looks like the baby will live, although he's in protective custody. There are questions as to whether the woman purposely tried to harm the child or was just very, very confused. Police plan to interview her to figure out why she did what she did before deciding whether to press charges.
| Sara Shepherd
Actually, I don't know for sure that this involved necrophilia. I'm just guessing that was the goal.
A Pennsylvania man allegedly broke into a morgue and "tampered" with a female corpse, the story says. The suspect -- who has a prior conviction for corpse abuse -- was found hiding next to the body, from which he had torn open the surrounding plastic, removed a pair of stockings and left one leg sticking up in the air.
Yuck.
| Sara Shepherd
-- Hat tip: Thanks, Trevor!
A breaking news story from Christine Vendel. Sadly, this one comes from right here in Kansas City.
| Sara Shepherd
A man who went to jail for marrying eight women has been accused of proposing to four new ladies. The guy -- a traveling preacher -- says he divorced some of his exes, though he's not sure which ones.
Hat Tip: Many thanks, Blondie!
Pots would reach $800. He operated tables in his garage, basement and the main floor of his house, court records state. They also found a pound of marijuana in his house. And despite being unemployed, he was able to buy a $70,000 BMW, $25,000 in jewelry and a $2,000 scooter.
An Arizona man was arrested for allegedly smacking a police horse on the behind while officers were wrangling a large crowd, the Arizona Republic reports. That's an excellent way to make a horse run or jump -- probably not a great thing in a crowd of 200. From The Story: David Cross, 28, told the officer that it was "no big deal," according to police.
Hat Tip: Thanks, eephus!
The family of John Walker Lindh -- "the American Taliban" -- is trying to get him a reduced sentence. He's serving 20 years, but an Australian who recently admitted to training with the Taliban was given a nine-month sentence.
Police say Joel Hundley told his wife "to go to church, go out shopping and don’t worry about it," because he would watch their three kids. Instead, Hundley is accused of taking the kiddos -- ages 4, 2 and 10 months -- to El Salvador.
The FBI says Hundley was caught last week. He should be back in Kansas City in a few days to face charges of international parental kidnapping. The children appeared OK, but dirty. Lynn Horsley's got a good story about the case here.
A 22-year-old visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum is accused of repeatedly kicking a $300,000 painting from the 1600s. For all my fellow culture vultures, it was "The Triumph of David" by Ottavio Vannini. The painting shows David holding Goliath's severed head.
The suspect reportedly said the image "disturbed" him. The museum director said the 22-year-old has a history of mental illness. After he finished putting speed holes in the painting, he took off his shirt and lay on the floor until police showed up.
Hat Tip: Thanks, kmb and vamp85!
The Johnson County Sheriff's Department ran an "alcohol compliance check" last week -- an undercover test to see if stores would sell booze to underage folk. They checked 19 businesses in Shawnee, Mission, Merriam and Roeland Park. Five places failed the test. That's a noncompliance rate of 26 percent so far this year -- compared to 46 percent last year.
From The Star: Overland Park police are looking for a man on a red bicycle who tried twice Monday afternoon to get a 12-year-old girl to approach him.
The first incident happened about 4:15 p.m. in the area of 67th and Glenwood streets. The girl was standing in her driveway when the man rode up and asked her to come and talk with him. Instead the girl went inside her home, saying the man’s actions were “creepy” and made her feel uneasy.
The same man returned about 5:20 p.m. when the girl was outside with another girl about her age. The man asked both how old they were. The girls then ran to a nearby friend’s house.
The man is described as white, 6 feet tall, in his 30s with a heavy waistline, a reddish face and shaved or bald head. He wore a white T-shirt, baggy jeans and gray sweat jacket.
Sorry to post this so late ... But it looks like the Kansas City Council has reached a consensus on how to deal with panhandlers without punishing street performers. It still needs a vote from the full council. From Dave Helling's story:
Under the revised proposal, the city would establish three broad definitions of panhandling:
•“Aggressive” panhandling would be prohibited citywide. It could include touching someone, threatening them, or following them and asking repeatedly for donations.
•“Verbal” panhandling — asking for a handout — would be allowed in most parts of the city, with some exceptions, including asking for money near a bus stop; within 5 feet of the street; within 20 feet of an ATM; and inside five “entertainment zones” — south downtown, the Country Club Plaza, Westport, Zona Rosa, and 18th and Vine.
•“Passive” panhandling would be allowed in the entertainment zones, except within 20 feet of the entrance to a business or 5 feet from the street. Street performers and others could passively panhandle anywhere in the city by setting out a cigar box or rattling a cup, but they could not, under the ordinance, ask for a donation.
Great story from the New Straits Times ... Two dogs trained to sniff out pirated DVDs now have a price on their adorable little heads. A bunch of Malaysian bootleggers called the hit after the dogs made a huge bust recently.
From the story: The ministry has stepped up security for the canines, Lucky and Flo. They have also been moved to different safe houses.
BALTIMORE (AP) _ Police arrested a 7-year-old boy, handcuffed him and took his mug shot and fingerprints on a charge of riding a motorized dirt bike on a sidewalk.
At the station, Gerard Mungo Jr. was handcuffed to a bench and interrogated before being released to his parents.
"They scared me," Gerard told The Baltimore Examiner before breaking down in tears.
The mother said the incident scarred her son. "This has changed his life," she said. "He'll never be the same."
A teacher in Kentucky left her two small children in her parked car all day while she worked, police said. She didn't respond to a school announcement about the children, and rescue workers ended up breaking out the back window of her car to get the children out.
Hat tip to reader kmb!
The board chairman of Atlanta's transit system, MARTA, was arrested for receiving oral sex from a younger man in the men's room of the Atlanta airport. But he's not quitting his position.
A Leavenworth prison inmate managed to improvise an explosive device, put it in an envelope with a white powder marked "Anthrax" and mail it to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. He'd already done this kind of thing once before, in 1992, so this time he was sentenced to life without parole.
A 37-year-old Kansas City woman has been charged with snatching a 5-year-old boy off his tricycle outside his home in the 8200 block of Troost and running away with him, covering his mouth so he couldn't scream.
Edwina Bates first offered the boy candy, police said. When the boy's father, who had been inside, chased her down, Bates said, "No, he's mine. I'm going to steal him," police said.
Two weeks after her dog went missing, a Minnesota woman received its severed head in a gift-wrapped package, along with Valentine's Day candy, on her porch, police said.
Hat tip to reader Terry S.!
Two wild cats entered a home in North Dakota and scratched three persons for no reason, police said.
Hat tip to reader The DB!
A 13-year-old Ohio seventh-grader is up on 128 felony charges.
Hat tip to reader You're a Mean Drunk R2-D2!
E-mail 11:06 a.m. from reader Mary in the Coleman Highlands neighborhood of Kansas City:
I'll ask, and will post here if I get an answer.
ENGLEWOOD, Fla. - A part-time high school music teacher has run afoul
of the school district because he's baring his bottom in a community
theater production of "The Full Monty."
The school district says he has to resign or, one way or the other, stop showing his bottom in the show. He says his art must go on.
Hat tip to reader aqua!
This sounds to me like the opening salvo in a long battle:
