“Salamander Man” Finally Captured
A crafty modus operandi indeed.
Criminal
How to Collect from a Stubborn Client
This one’s easy: you just kidnap him until the family pays the ransom, I mean fees. Works best on the client’s wedding day. Police in Waco, Texas, said that Paula Allen, a 51-year-old attorney who had defended Rolando Castelan from…
Afternoon, Your Honor . . . D’oh!
Jacob Vandeven, 27, of Whitewater, Missouri, got off relatively easy after he was charged with drunk driving and causing an accident in which people were injured. Charged with a felony, he was allowed to plead guilty to a reduced misdemeanor…
More Bad Santas
In addition to "Santarchy" in New Zealand, many other stories this week of bad Santas all around the world. For some reason, many of them seem to be operating in Germany. There were at least three reports of bad Santas…
Where Not to Flee After Robbing Someone, #174
Into the tiger den at the zoo. Officials at this particular zoo, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, have said the Bengal tigers in question "will not be destroyed because they were blameless." AP via SFGate.com
‘Tis the Season — for Santarchy
"Santarchy," as you know, is the technical term for any violent rampage carried out by large groups of people dressed as Santa Claus. The latest incident of Santarchy took place in New Zealand, on December 18, when as many as…
Note to Self: If Found Guilty, Leave
In Houston on Wednesday, a man who had just been found guilty of evading arrest got up and ran out of the courtroom. Police said they had no leads as to his location and had no further information at this…
Murderer Freed Because Evidence Showed Murder Was Intentional
Coming soon to a "Law & Order" episode, probably, is this story involving New York law. David Policano, who was convicted some years ago of murder, was freed recently by the 2d Circuit Court of Appeals although Policano does not…
This Year’s Costumed-Criminal Stories
Every year some number of wiseass criminals commit crimes in costume for Halloween. This year at least one of them robbed two banks on October 31, dressed as a witch. The woman, who has apparently not yet been apprehended, robbed…
Man Claiming to be Armed with Mouth Bomb Fails in Robbery Attempt
In one of the more creative bank-robbery attempts we've seen recently, a Tucson man tried to rob a bank on Monday claiming that he had a bomb in his mouth. The man presented a note making the claim, which he…