‘A nine-year-old German girl was so upset about having to tidy her room she put up a sign in her window urging passers-by to call police for help.
Pedestrians in the central city of Braunschweig saw the girl crying in the window, holding up a sign up saying “Help! Please call the police!” Next to her sat a small boy. Quickly alerted, officers rushed to the scene to discover the girl had argued with her mother about tidying her room and enlisted her two-year-old brother’s aid to attract attention.
“The room looked like a battlefield,” said a spokesman for local police on Monday. “Officers told the girl to tidy her room. When they came back two hours later to check, it was all cleaned up. And the mother and daughter had made up too.”‘
‘A motorist who has admitted being drunk and driving the wrong way down a Melbourne freeway says his actions were not dangerous. [..]
A car was first spotted going the wrong way about 2am (AEST) today on the West Gate Freeway near the West Gate Bridge, at Newport, in Melbourne’s south-west.
Mr Cartwright apologised to motorists on the freeway that night and admitted he was drunk.
“As I said, I was drunk … but I don’t think I actually put anyone in real danger. Even though I was driving on the wrong side of the road, I never came close to hitting anyone,” he told reporters.’
‘A woman who tried to steal a fetus by knocking her pregnant neighbor unconscious with a baseball bat and cutting open her stomach was sentenced Tuesday to 22 to 50 years in prison.
Peggy Jo Conner, who could have been sentenced to up to 80 years in prison, apologized for attacking Valerie Oskin on Oct. 13, 2005.
“I’m sorry for what happened to Valerie and for what part I had in it,” Conner said. “I’m not that kind of person. I was on drugs then.”
But Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi said blood tests at the time showed no intoxicants in Conner’s system. She is now being treated for bipolar disorder and manic depression.’
Followup to Fetus-Theft Suspect to Claim Insanity.
‘Russian prosecutors say they will refuse to extradite Andrei Lugovoi, charged by Britain in the poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko, to London because of a constitutional ban.
Earlier Tuesday British officials said they wanted to bring Lugovoi before a British court and charge him with the “extraordinarily grave crime” of murdering Litvinenko in London last November.
“I have today concluded that the evidence sent to us by the police is sufficient to charge Andrei Lugovoi with the murder of Mr. Litvinenko by deliberate poisoning,” Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald said in London.
Litvinenko, who was a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin and had been granted political asylum in the UK, died in a London hospital last November, several weeks after he was poisoned with polonium-210.’
Followup to Radioactive killer was discovered by doctors only hours before death.
‘A California lawmaker, who favors a penalty for people caught driving while using their cell phone, reportedly caused a car accident this weekend – while she was on her cell phone. [..]
Officials say the vehicle in front of Migden was slowing down for a red light, when the senator slammed into the back of the car – which then ran into another van. [..]
Last year, Migden voted in favor of a new law that will impose a minimum fine of $20 for drivers caught using a cell phone on the road, without the aid of a hands-free device.
Migden will not be fined, however, because the new law doesn’t take effect until July 2008.’
‘A naked American tourist raised eyebrows when he went for a walk through a German city and told police he thought this was acceptable behaviour in Germany.
“We have been having unusually hot weather here lately but, all the same, we can’t have this,” a spokesman for police in the southern city of Nuremberg said today.
“The man said he thought walking around naked was tolerated in Germany.”
Many Germans enjoy nude sunbathing which is allowed in public parks. The 41-year-old was carrying his clothes in a bag when police stopped him yesterday evening after complaints from pedestrians.’
‘Ned Kelly, the legendary Australian bushranger who evaded police for two years before being captured and hanged in 1880, has gone missing again. His bones have vanished from a mass prison grave in Melbourne where they were believed to be buried. [..]
Pentridge closed in 1997 and the site is being redeveloped for housing, with the state conservation body, Heritage Victoria, overseeing the work. Archaeological tests were recently carried out at the mass burial site, but no human remains were found.
Archaeologists discovered evidence that the soil had been disturbed about 50 years ago, probably during major drainage works.
Ray Tonkin, the head of Heritage Victoria, said yesterday: “We now believe these remains were probably removed in the 1950s or 1960s, as part of the installation of large service pipes that took place at the prison at the time.” The remains of about 32 criminals are believed to have been lost, possibly dumped in a quarry.’
‘A Californian man who tried to kill his girlfriend by leaving her in a car parked across railway lines was himself killed when an oncoming train hurled the car into him as he fled.
His girlfriend survived, the Associated Press reported.
The man drove the car to the head of a line of traffic stopped at a level crossing in the San Fernando Valley neighbourhood of Sunland on Monday, police spokesman Mike Lopez said.
The man, who was seen arguing with the woman, then parked the car on the tracks and jumped out, leaving her behind, Mr Lopez said.’
‘The mother and aunt of a legally blind 10-year-old boy were booked on cruelty charges after briefly leaving him on the side of a highway because he was misbehaving, a sheriff’s spokesman said.
A driver reported seeing someone pick up a child from the side of Interstate 12 on Wednesday about 40 miles east of Baton Rouge and put him in a van. Authorities feared they were dealing with a kidnapping, said Jason Ard, the Livingston Parish sheriff’s spokesman.
Investigators found the boy had actually been dropped off as punishment. The van traveled a short distance down the highway before the mother got out and retrieved him, Ard said. It was unclear exactly how long the child was out of the car but Ard said Friday it was probably only a few minutes.’
‘Detectives in Polk County are searching for two teens believed to have stolen a box of condoms.
Investigators say that on the afternoon of Sunday, May 13, an unidentified young man was captured on video surveillance with another unidentified young man stealing a blue box of Trojan brand condoms from the Sears Essential store at 4717 South Florida Avenue in Lakeland.
When confronted by store personnel, the boys fled on foot. [..]
Anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous and be eligible for a CASH REWARD is asked to call HEARTLAND Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS.’
These guys now have their faces all over the internet as known condom thieves. :)
‘A thief fleeing a jewelry store was killed when his bicycle was struck by a bus, police said.
Authorities said the 42-year-old man snatched a US$2,000 gold chain from the Bronx jewelry store on Friday and was making his getaway. A store clerk and two bystanders were chasing the man on foot when he pedalled into an intersection and was hit by a fast-moving bus, police said.
The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he died from head injuries. Five passengers who were jostled when the bus slammed on its brakes were also examined at the hospital. [..]
The necklace was still missing, and may have been thrown from the scene or grabbed by a bystander after the accident.’
‘Michael Lusher apparently is a sound sleeper. A small-caliber bullet struck the 37-year-old Altizer man in the head as he slept Sunday morning, but he didn’t realize it until he awoke nearly four hours later and noticed blood coming from his head, said Cpl. R.H. McQuaid of the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department.
The bullet that struck him was one of five that someone sprayed across his mobile home and truck at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday, McQuaid said. The one the struck Lusher apparently lost velocity as it traveled through two walls.
“We’re just glad he didn’t suffer any life-threatening injuries with a head wound,” he said.’
‘A man has been arrested for pouring his urine on a neighboring house on 169 occasions, causing the victim 650,000 yen in losses, police said.
Hiroshi Nishizaki, 46, a part-time worker from Ikeda, stands accused of damaging a structure. He admitted to the allegations during questioning.
“The view from my apartment has been blocked by the neighboring house, which was recently built, and I was irritated,” he was quoted as telling investigators. [..]
Nishizaki urinated into bottles or pots and poured it on the outer wall of the neighboring house and over one of its outdoor air conditioning units from his apartment on at least 169 occasions between Feb. 17 this year and Monday this week, local police said. On one day, he stained the neighbor’s home nine times.’
‘A Central Florida woman who was cleaning out her parents’ home found a hidden box of photographs with images of her mother and father molesting her young daughter more than a decade ago, according to police.
Investigators said the 58-year-old grandfather, who was not identified to protect the victim, was recently moving out of his Orange County home with the help of his adult daughter.
Officers said that during the move she began sifting through some family photos.
She then found images of her daughter being sexually molested by the her parents, according to the report.’
‘A British judge admitted on Wednesday he was struggling to cope with basic terms like “Web site” in the trial of three men accused of inciting terrorism via the Internet.
Judge Peter Openshaw broke into the questioning of a witness about a Web forum used by alleged Islamist radicals.
“The trouble is I don’t understand the language. I don’t really understand what a Web site is,” he told a London court during the trial of three men charged under anti-terrorism laws.
Prosecutor Mark Ellison briefly set aside his questioning to explain the terms “Web site” and “forum.” An exchange followed in which the 59-year-old judge acknowledged: “I haven’t quite grasped the concepts.”
Violent Islamist material posted on the Internet, including beheadings of Western hostages, is central to the case.’
‘A woman blames the devil and not her husband for severely burning their infant daughter after the 2-month-old was put in a microwave, a Houston television station reported.
Eva Marie Mauldin said Satan compelled her 19-year-old husband, Joshua Royce Mauldin, to microwave their daughter May 10 because the devil disapproved of Joshua’s efforts to become a preacher. [..]
A Galveston County grand jury indicted Joshua Mauldin last week on child injury charges after hearing evidence that he placed his daughter in a motel microwave for 10 to 20 seconds. [..]
“That was not my husband; my husband is a wonderful father,” she said. “Satan was working through his weaknesses.”
Eva Maudlin described those weaknesses as an undisclosed mental disability, and that her efforts to get help for him have failed.’
‘When police spotted a gun-wielding suspect lurking in the shadows of a suburban front room, their response was swift.
Armed officers burst into the house, shouted at the owner to lie on the floor, and ordered him to surrender his weapon.
But efficiency turned to embarrassment when the “gunman” turned out to be a life-sized model of the video game character Lara Croft, complete with trademark outsized pistols.’
‘A 9-year-old boy was placed in juvenile detention after he was charged with four counts of third-degree assault for allegedly poisoning his 30-year-old stepmother and his three siblings in separate incidents.
Mobile County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kate Johnson said the youngster admitted pouring an aquarium water conditioner in his step mom’s drink on Saturday at a residence in Irvington. The unnamed woman fell ill and remained hospitalized in the intensive care unit at a Mobile hospital. She was treated for abdominal pains and is expected to make a full recovery.
Johnson said investigators also are looking into an April 15 incident in which the boy confessed to poisoning his siblings with an industrial strength cleaner and degreaser. The three siblings, a 15-and-two 11-year-olds, were treated and released.
Investigators described the youngster as a “troubled child” in need of professional counseling.’
‘Treasurer Peter Costello’s regular morning jog up the roof of Parliament House is a breach of parliamentary security, a Senate estimates committee has heard.
Mr Costello took up jogging late last year and ends his Canberra outings by running up the grassy slope to the flagpole at the top of Parliament House.
He told reporters that he liked to jog a lap of the parliament and finish by racing to the grassy roof, where he would “clasp my hands together like Rocky Balboa”. [..]
Department of Parliamentary Services head Hilary Penfold told the Senate finance and public administration committee that pedestrians were not supposed to access the roof. [..]
“And if you see him popping over the fence to go up to the top of the hill to clasp his hands together like Rocky Balboa, can I ask that he be arrested,” Senator Faulkner said.’
‘An 18-year-old man suffered serious burns Wednesday after suffering a severe electric shock while spray painting graffiti inside an electrical substation in northwest Santa Fe, according to police. [..]
The substation near Buckman Road supplies electricity to 5,800 households in the area, said Jeff Buell, spokesman for the Public Service Company of New Mexico. About 115,000 volts of electricity flow into the substation through high-voltage wires. Inside, the current is redistributed and sent out to customers through underground wires. [..]
There is so much electricity running through the substation that the current does not need a strong conductor — such as a metal wire or stream of water — to escape and electrocute someone, Buell said. A stream of spray paint would be more than sufficient to conduct electricity inside the substation, he said.’
‘A Canadian hitchhiker, who stole an elderly man’s car after he offered her a ride, died a few minutes later when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into trees, police said.
The crash happened near the town of Hawkesbury — about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Ottawa — after the man stopped to pick up 20-year-old Mandy Deschambeault.
“The male driver proceeded to step out of his vehicle momentarily at which point the female jumped in the driver seat, stealing the male person’s car,” local police said in a statement Monday.
“She proceeded to lose control of the … car, crossing the other lane hitting trees. The female was ejected from the vehicle and found to be without vital signs.”‘
‘Actor Sylvester Stallone was formally convicted Monday of importing restricted muscle-building hormones into Australia and ordered to pay more than $9,870 in fines and court costs.
New South Wales state Deputy Chief Magistrate Paul Cloran said the “Rocky” and “Rambo” star had failed to show he had a valid prescription for vials of human growth hormone that were in his luggage when he arrived for a promotional tour in February. Stallone also had failed to declare the male hormone testosterone on a customs entry form, although he had a valid prescription.
Cloran fined Stallone $2,500 and ordered him to pay $8,200 in prosecution costs. Stallone, who was not present in court, had pleaded guilty last week.’
Followup to Stallone charged over growth drug.
‘Police in a city in New York are investigating who sent a package containing 12 pounds of marijuana to an elementary school.
Kent Town Police also want to know who at the Kent Primary School was the intended recipient.
The package was addressed to Joan Pinserton — which is a misspelling of the principal’s name — Pinkerton. The principal was suspicious of the package when it was delivered by Federal Express Thursday because of the odor it emanated — so she had it moved to the rear of the school property by the bus garage.’
‘A bumbling intruder broke into an empty New Zealand police station and accidentally locked himself in a cell, but managed to smash his way out again just before authorities arrived.
Sgt. Graham McGurk on Monday said the person broke into the deserted police station in the town of Matamata on North Island on Saturday night through the front office.
The intruder went to the cell bloc, and was accidentally locked in when a self-closing door clicked shut.
As police rushed to respond to an intruder alarm at the post, the intruder used a wooden chair that was inside the cell to smash through a window – supposedly outfitted with shatter-proof glass – to freedom.’
‘A partially blind, one-legged diabetic man chased his terrified neighbors with a 10-inch knife because their front door kept slamming, police say.
Cursing and ”yelling racial profanities,” Barry A. Friedman used his free hand to maneuver his wheelchair, North Miami police said.
”The couple escaped him by hiding behind doors,” a police report says.
The attack took place on the fourth floor of the Forest Place Apartments, 1600 NE 135th St., neighbors said.
Friedman, 61, admitted anger because building managers and police had been unable to stop his neighbors from slamming their doors.
The attack was the only way a ”diabetic man in his 60s, missing a leg and partially blind can take action,” he told police.’
‘A Helton Street man called Middletown police Friday night to report that he had shot a woman in the face.
Middletown police and fire units responded at 11:18 p.m. to 4205 Helton St., where they found Debbie Dockery, 47, fatally wounded from a gunshot.
Charles Frost, 59, was taken into custody, said Middletown police Lt. Don Owens, who confirmed early Saturday that “the suspect called us” to report the homicide.’
‘Media Rights Technologies and its digital radio subsidiary BlueBeat.com said in a press release Thursday that it had issued cease and desist letters to the high-tech titans. It argues that the companies have manufactured billions of copies of Windows Vista, Adobe Flash Player, Real Player and Apple’s iTunes and iPod “without regard for the DMCA or the rights of American intellectual property owners.” [..]
MRT, based in Santa Cruz, Calif., argues that its X1 SeCure Recording Control technology has been “proven effective” as such a protective measure by plugging the “digital hole” that allows even copy-protected music streams, when played back, to be captured and potentially copied. The company says that because the companies are avoiding use of its purportedly effective product, they are violating the DMCA.
“We’ve given these four companies 10 days to talk to us and work out a solution, or we will go into federal court and file action and seek an injunction to remove the infringing products from the marketplace,” CEO Hank Risan said in a phone interview Friday. [..]’
‘A student told yesterday how he lost his mobile phone after being “mugged” by an angry flock of geese.
Sam Rozati, 23, was attacked by four birds as he walked past their nest.
They pecked so hard he dropped his phone.
Then one bird grabbed the mobile and disappeared into the undergrowth in Colchester, Essex.
Final-year law student Sam said: “They flew over and started biting my hand until I dropped the phone. I had to move away for my safety.”
His attempts to find his phone have failed — as it is set on silent.’
‘Four of the five people arrested after a Mother’s Day brawl that shut down a crowded buffet-style restaurant yesterday afternoon entered not guilty pleas to assault and rioting charges in Toledo Municipal Court today. [..]
Authorities said Christine Lewandowski, 56, repeatedly asked Ms. Harris to quiet her 1-year-old child, who was sitting in a high chair screaming. When the infant continued to scream, Ms. Lewandowski shouted at the baby to “shut up,” police said. Ms. Harris responded by punching the woman, igniting the brawl that involved as many as 15 people in the restaurant, police said.
About 10 Toledo Police units responded to the melee with an estimated 15 people involved inside the restaurant. Five people were arrested and six people were hurt, including four who were taken to hospitals for minor injuries.’
‘Wildlife officials in Florida are expected to announce Monday that they want to make it illegal for developers to entomb tortoises.
Recently, Local 6 reported how it is legal to bury tortoises alive as long as construction crews have the proper permit. [..]
“For a price tag of a quarter million dollars, the Expressway Authority legally began to pave over the only openings to the tortoises’ burrows — essentially burying them alive,” Diaz said.
“They are immobilized and can’t get out of their burrow,” a wildlife official said. “It can take up to a year to die one biologist has told us. It can take that long before they die of suffocation, dehydration or starvation.” [..]
“Just because you can bury alive gopher tortoises, doesn’t necessarily mean you should,” a commissioner told Local 6 News.’
