weird crimes

Read odd news stories and other latest weird crimes news from around the world on Newser.com

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A Sex Tape, Threats, and Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Second man busted for theft of iconic 'Wizard of Oz' prop, with some eyebrow-raising details

(Newser) - A second man has been charged in connection with the 2005 theft of a pair of ruby slippers that Judy Garland wore in The Wizard of Oz, according to an indictment made public Sunday.
  • The theft: The slippers, adorned with sequins and glass beads, were stolen from the Judy Garland
...

Police: Woman Pumped $28K in Free Gas via Sneaky Glitch
Police: Woman Pumped $28K
in Free Gas via Sneaky Glitch
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Police: Woman Pumped $28K in Free Gas via Sneaky Glitch

Nebraska gas station pump was exploited with a rewards card, authorities say

(Newser) - There's no such thing as a free lunch, or free gas, though Nebraska authorities say that for six-plus months, one enterprising woman exploited a glitch via her rewards card that scored her nearly $28,000 in gratis gas.
  • The glitch: Police say a software update at the pumps at
...

Team Will Have to Owe Fans That Bobblehead
Theft Cancels
Bobblehead Night

Theft Cancels Bobblehead Night

Jaromir Jagr will still attend the game, but the giveaway for fans will be postponed

(Newser) - Everything is in place for Jaromir Jagr Bobblehead Night except the bobbleheads. The Pittsburgh Penguins planned the fan giveaway in honor of their retired star, and Jagr plans to be at Thursday night's home game against the San Jose Sharks. But the Penguins announced earlier in the day that...

Here's Your 'Ewwww' Crime of the Day
Here's Your
'Ewwww' Crime
of the Day

Here's Your 'Ewwww' Crime of the Day

Mississippi cop charged after allegedly making prisoner lick urine-coated floor

(Newser) - Holding cells aren't known for their luxe accommodations, but one prisoner reportedly had an especially gross stay during his temporary detention in a Mississippi jail. Court files show that police officer Michael Christian Green has been charged with one federal count of deprivation of rights under color of law,...

Feds Find Goose Intestines Under Dead Rattlesnakes

Feds bust 6 for illegally importing gross stuff hidden under other gross stuff

(Newser) - Six people were arrested in New York on Tuesday on charges of illegally importing goose and duck intestines from China, in some cases by hiding them under packaged rattlesnakes or mislabeling them as pet grooming products on customs forms, federal officials announced. The scheme, which the AP reports also included...

Smuggling Greenhouse Gases Is Now a Thing

Michael Hart is first in US to be hit with such a charge after alleged transport of HFCs from Mexico

(Newser) - A Southern California man was arrested Monday on suspicion of smuggling refrigerants into the US from Mexico, and federal prosecutors said he's the first person to be charged with violating regulations intended to curb the use of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. The indictment alleges Michael Hart...

Cops: Driverless Taxi Foils Would-Be Car Thief

Suspect in Los Angeles faces charges of grand theft auto

(Newser) - He must have thought it would be the world's easiest car theft: A man in Los Angeles popped behind the wheel of a Waymo driverless taxi in Los Angeles, only to discover that he couldn't make the car go, reports NBC News . Instead, he heard a disembodied voice...

Smuggling of Rare Butterflies Doesn't End Well for NY Man

Long Island man who labeled rare insects as 'wall decorations' pleads guilty

(Newser) - A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking bird-wing butterflies and other rare insects, according to a plea deal filed in Brooklyn federal court. Charles Limmer, 75, of Commack, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into the country and agreed to pay a $30,...

Thieves Return Director's Medals, With an Apology

'Sir, please forgive us,' they write to M. Manikandan in India

(Newser) - Burglars who broke into the country home of a prominent director in India had a change of heart, though not a complete change of heart—they returned two prestigious medals he earned for directing but kept his money, reports the Times of India . Police say the thieves busted into the...

Drunk Driver Reports Himself to Police

'It's not every day that this happens'

(Newser) - Police in England say a drunken driver did the right thing after doing the wrong thing. An emergency dispatcher received an unusual call just before noon Monday when a motorist reported he was driving drunk and said he "doesn't know what he is doing," North Yorkshire police...

After 8 Months, Cops Release This Suspicious Bird

Pigeon caught in May near port in Mumbai, India, had been suspected of spying for China

(Newser) - Indian police cleared a suspected Chinese spy pigeon after eight months' detention and released it into the wild Tuesday, reports the news agency Press Trust of India. The pigeon's ordeal began in May when it was captured near a port in Mumbai with two rings tied to its legs,...

500-Pound Stuffed Polar Bear Stolen

Canadian authorities are asking the public to keep an eye out for suspicious online sales

(Newser) - It was so cold at Canada's Lily Lake Resort on January 22 that security patrols at the hotel were canceled—so an opportunistic group of thieves broke in and stole a 500-pound, 12-foot-tall stuffed polar bear. Somehow no one even noticed the massive animal, which had undergone taxidermy, was...

Cop Delivers DoorDash Order After Arresting Driver

'My deputies always follow through,' the Illinois officer's boss wrote online

(Newser) - You never know who's going to show up on your front porch with your food order, but for one Illinois customer, her meal delivery came via an especially surprising "driver." Sky News and NBC News report on a DoorDasher who was making a delivery in St. Charles...

Amish Family Go to Walmart, Have Horse and Buggy Stolen

Police in Michigan eventually recovered both and made an arrest

(Newser) - It is not your typical police-blotter vehicle theft: An Amish family in Sturgis, Michigan, went shopping at Walmart and emerged to discover that somebody had stolen their horse and buggy while they were shopping, reports Fox 2 Detroit . Luckily, a truck driver parked in the store's parking lot witnessed...

Cops: Guy Got Really Upset by Unsliced Subway Sandwich

Florida's Alberto de Barros accused of attack, charged with battery after his sandwich allegedly wasn't cut

(Newser) - It's definitely annoying trying to eat a large Subway sub when it hasn't been cut in half, but one Florida man may have taken that annoyance a bit too far. Per an arrest report cited by Fox Business , the Martin County Sheriff's Office responded to a call...

By Returning What He Stole in 1999, Thief Revealed Himself

He used his credit card to pay to ship the gold-painted weathervane back

(Newser) - A thief returned what he stole more than two decades ago anonymously—but he didn't remain anonymous for long. AFP reports a gold-painted weathervane that sat atop a Catholic cross in southwestern France was taken from its perch in April 1999. Over the years, historian Michel Sabatery wrote about...

Waffle House Theft Followed Surprisingly Simple Ruse

Police say woman posed as an employee for 2 hours before taking cash from register

(Newser) - Points for creativity in this police blotter item: Police in Georgia say a woman showed up at a Waffle House pretending to be an employee, then worked for two hours before opening the register and walking out with cash, reports 11Alive . She may have overlooked the tiny problem of surveillance...

TSA: Man Blamed This 'Loaded Diaper' on His Girlfriend

Agency says man was cited at NYC's LaGuardia airport after 17 bullets found in disposable diaper

(Newser) - It was a loaded diaper, but not like you would think. Security officers found 17 bullets concealed inside a disposable baby diaper Wednesday at New York's LaGuardia Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said. Officers pulled the otherwise clean diaper from a passenger's carry-on bag after it triggered an...

Flier Charged With Stealing $23K From Fellow Passengers

Man allegedly looted three carry-on bags

(Newser) - A man is charged with stealing more than $23,000 from the backpacks and bags of his fellow passengers on board a flight from Vietnam to Singapore on Saturday. Zhang Xiuqiang, 52, was flying Scoot, Singapore Airlines' budget wing, CNN reports. He is accused of nabbing Vietnamese dong, Singapore dollar...

Woman Busted for the Most Krispy Kreme of Crimes
Woman Busted for the
Most Krispy Kreme of Crimes
in case you missed it

Woman Busted for the Most Krispy Kreme of Crimes

28-year-old allegedly stole van filled with 10K doughnuts in Australian suburb

(Newser) - "It's a crime you just can't sugarcoat" is one of the suggested openers by the New York Times for a story about a sticky situation in Australia. The paper reports that the driver of a delivery van carrying 10,000 Krispy Kreme doughnuts stopped at a 7-Eleven...

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