weird crimes

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

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A Very French Heist: $100K Worth of Snails

Thieves make off with huge stash from family farm

(Newser) - Thieves have pulled off an unusual heist in France's Champagne region, making off with nearly half a ton of snails. The haul, valued at $100,000, vanished from L'Escargot des Grands, a farm run by Jean-Mathieu Dauvergne, in an overnight caper last week, reports the Independent . Most had...

Arrests After Employees Treat 'Firehouse Like Frat House'

Victim was reportedly pinned down and waterboarded with a bottle

(Newser) - Officials say a hazing incident at a Florida fire station escalated so violently that four Marion County Fire and Rescue employees lost their jobs and now find themselves arrested. Authorities say the alleged assault unfolded at Fire Station 21 in Ocala on Nov. 16, when the group—Edward Kenny III,...

New Jersey Cops Seek Humpty Dumpty Bandits

Statue of nursery rhyme character was stolen from Cape May mini golf venue, dumped in street

(Newser) - Humpty Dumpty took a big fall, and now police are hoping to crack the case. A colorful statue of the nursery rhyme icon was forcibly removed from a structure at a miniature golf course in Cape May, New Jersey, on Sunday and dumped down the street. Local police now say...

Calif. Woman Charged After Registering Her Dog to Vote

Dog's ballot counted in 2021 recall, woman faces felony charges

(Newser) - A California woman is in hot water after prosecutors say she registered her dog to vote and managed to successfully cast a ballot under the pet's name in a state recall election. The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced that Laura Lee Yourex, 62, faces five felony...

Bondi Fires DOJ Staffer Over Sandwich Hurled at CBP Agent

'This is an example of the Deep State,' AG railed against man who's now canned and facing a felony

(Newser) - A man charged with a felony for hurling a sandwich at a federal law-enforcement official in the nation's capital has been fired from his job at the Justice Department, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post on Thursday. A video of Sean Charles Dunn berating a...

As Cops Carried Out Eviction, She Broke Out the Bees

Woman accused of unleashing insects on deputies arrested in Tennessee for missing her Mass. trial

(Newser) - A Massachusetts woman who was set to go to trial for allegedly unleashing a swarm of bees upon sheriff's deputies trying to carry out an eviction has been arrested in Tennessee after ditching that trial. MassLive.com reports that Rebecca "Rorie" Woods, in her late 50s and hailing...

So About That Odd Embassy in India....

Indian police arrest man, 47, for setting up fake embassy, duping people for money as a 'diplomat'

(Newser) - Indian police have arrested a man accused of running a bogus embassy from a rented residential building near the capital of New Delhi and recovered cars with fake diplomatic plates. The suspect impersonated an ambassador and allegedly duped people for money by promising overseas employment, said senior police officer Sushil...

Burglars Bust Into Home, Let All the Bears In

After thieves damaged California home and the homeowner fled, the bears sauntered right in

(Newser) - It may be a natural response to flee to a different location if your home is being repeatedly targeted by burglars. That's what one 64-year-old woman in Northern California says she was forced to do after a string of thefts at her remote Lovelock residence, starting in April, per...

Burglars Take Unusual Haul From Restaurant

Pair stole 85 pricey koi fish in Southern California

(Newser) - Two late-night burglars walked off with an unusual haul from a restaurant in Yucaipa, California: Dozens of koi fish. The San Bernardino Sheriff's Department says the men were seen on camera taking the fish, bucket by bucket, from an outdoor area of the Oak House Restaurant, reports KTLA5 . The...

Cops: 'Lawn Guy' Hosted Bash With Homeowners Away

Landscaper allegedly threw party while homeowners were out of town

(Newser) - Neighbors were not pleased to see dozens of guests flowing in to a party in Weddington, North Carolina, on Saturday, so they alerted police to the situation. When authorities arrived, they found Michael Brown, 37, who they say had invited "several hundred" guests to the fete and charged them...

Cops: Mom, Dad, Son Busted for Running Fake Dental Clinic

The 22-year-old Czech 'dentist' was allegedly doing root canals with instructions he found online

(Newser) - Czech police say they've detained three suspects who allegedly treated patients in a fake dental clinic without a proper license or professional training. Authorities said dozens of people visited the clinic after the family of three opened it at their home in the town of Havlickuv Brod, some 60...

Cops: Dead Burglar Was Shot by One of His Own

Authorities in LA County say 5 men all in black entered home in Lynwood; only 4 made it out

(Newser) - In today's "with friends like these" files, a California burglary gone wrong left one of the suspects dead—and cops now say he was shot dead by one of his own crew, reports the Los Angeles Times . Per a release from the LA County Sheriff's Department, deputies...

Excavator Takes Cops on Wild 3MPH Chase

SC police pursued slow-moving vehicle for more than an hour before it got stuck at fairgrounds

(Newser) - Police in South Carolina engaged in a not-so-hot pursuit as they chased a tractor excavator down a main highway for more than an hour at the speed an average adult walks. The chase reached speeds of 3mph early Sunday morning in North Charleston, police said, per the AP . Officers on...

Cops: Teen Going 132MPH Blames Job Interview

Connecticut 19-year-old faces a slew of charges

(Newser) - His commitment to being on time for a job interview is admirable. His execution, not so much. A state trooper in Cromwell, Connecticut, clocked a Mercedes doing 132mph on a local interstate, reports WFSB . The trooper turned on his lights and siren and started to pursue, but the driver "...

Cops: Woman Made, Nixed 400-Plus Hotel Reservations
Cops: Woman Made, Nixed
400-Plus Hotel Reservations
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Apr 13, 2025 3:00 PM CDT

Cops: Woman Made, Nixed 400-Plus Hotel Reservations

Taryn Dixon is accused of booking rooms at Pennsylvania Comfort Suites, then never showing

(Newser) - A Pennsylvania woman found out this week that hotels get kind of peeved if you don't show up after making a reservation. In Taryn Dixon's case, she's now accused of making a whole lot of reservations at a Comfort Suites in Cumberland County—then turning into a...

Service Members Admit: Yep, We Swiped Paddington

Judge admonishes: 'Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for'

(Newser) - They didn't look after this bear. In fact, two men who'd been drinking kicked and yanked on a statue of Paddington, the fictional orphaned bear who came to England from Peru, until it broke in half. Then they took it. A judge on Tuesday chastised the duo—both...

Man Convicted of Stealing Golden Toilet Worth Millions

The toilet has never been recovered

(Newser) - A thief who swiped a golden toilet from an English palace was convicted Tuesday along with an accomplice who helped cash in on the spoils of the 18-carat work of art insured for more than $6 million, the AP reports. Michael Jones had used the fully functioning one-of-a-kind latrine as...

Cops: He Posed as NBA Player Rep, Swallowed $770K in Bling

Police say Jaythan Gilder, 32, made off with jewelry from Tiffany & Co. store in Florida

(Newser) - A Texas man has been arrested after police say he stole nearly $770,000 worth of Tiffany jewelry in Florida in the most desperately creative way. According to an Orlando Police Department arrest warrant, 32-year-old Jaythan Gilder strolled into a Tiffany & Co. store in Orlando's Mall at Millennia...

Man's Cocaine Hiding Spot Doesn't Stay Hidden

The 'narco wig' didn't work as intended

(Newser) - Colombian police apprehended a 40-year-old man attempting to smuggle several bags of cocaine concealed beneath a meticulously attached toupee. Police said the suspect was detained at Cartagena's airport on Monday as he prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. A scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine...

Speedy Santa Is on the Lam in Florida

Costumed motorcyclist gets away at speeds reaching 120mph

(Newser) - The Florida Highway Patrol is asking for the public's help on Christmas Eve in tracking down a man in a distinctive red suit with white trim. But if this sounds like one of those warm-hearted Santa police posts, it's not quite that. Instead, authorities are genuinely looking for...

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