Click for bigger.
Thursday, July 01, 2010
Police looking for robbery suspect disguised as Catwoman
A serial robber who apparently loves dressing up as a cat is running rampant across the city hitting only high-end shoe and beauty shops, according to New York City police.
The frisky feline has already struck three times and was captured on surveillance video during her heist at the high-end Arche store on Astor Place in the East Village on Thursday.
During the robbery at Arche, the 5-foot-6, 115 pound thief, apparently asked the a salesperson if she likes cats and then began moving like cat woman - even making cat sounds.
Before she pounced, police say the suspect shopped for nearly 40 minutes, before turning over a note to an employee reading, "Give me the money! I have a gun!" Police say she then fled the store with $86 in cash.
The following day the suspect hit The Body Shop in Forest Hills, Queens, police said. This time, however, she wasn't wearing her cat mask but was instead donning a scarf she had wrapped around her head. In that instance, she demanded money and made off with $500.
Last year, police say she hit another store. This time, she targeted a Nine West in Forest Hills. It is not clear how much money she got away with in that case. The cat bandit is still on the prowl.
The frisky feline has already struck three times and was captured on surveillance video during her heist at the high-end Arche store on Astor Place in the East Village on Thursday.
During the robbery at Arche, the 5-foot-6, 115 pound thief, apparently asked the a salesperson if she likes cats and then began moving like cat woman - even making cat sounds.
Before she pounced, police say the suspect shopped for nearly 40 minutes, before turning over a note to an employee reading, "Give me the money! I have a gun!" Police say she then fled the store with $86 in cash.
The following day the suspect hit The Body Shop in Forest Hills, Queens, police said. This time, however, she wasn't wearing her cat mask but was instead donning a scarf she had wrapped around her head. In that instance, she demanded money and made off with $500.
Last year, police say she hit another store. This time, she targeted a Nine West in Forest Hills. It is not clear how much money she got away with in that case. The cat bandit is still on the prowl.
Donald Duck arrested on drug charges after crash
A man named Donald Duck was arrested on drug charges after an accident in a drive-through line over the weekend.
Officers said Duck, 51, was arrested at about 5:25 p.m. Saturday after he repeatedly struck the car in front of him while at a drive-through pizza line on Lincoln Way East in Massillon, Ohio.
Police said Duck was charged with drug paraphernalia offences and possession of marijuana.
According to Massillon police, Duck has been arrested numerous times on DUI charges dating back to 1991.
Officers said Duck, 51, was arrested at about 5:25 p.m. Saturday after he repeatedly struck the car in front of him while at a drive-through pizza line on Lincoln Way East in Massillon, Ohio.
Police said Duck was charged with drug paraphernalia offences and possession of marijuana.
According to Massillon police, Duck has been arrested numerous times on DUI charges dating back to 1991.
Pharmacy held up by 'customer' in bandages
The late-night pharmacy "customer" appeared to be in bad shape. His head was wrapped in bandages, his left arm was in a cast and sling, and he walked with a crutch. But he managed to hold a handgun on a pharmacy employee on Monday as he stole narcotic painkillers, police said.
The robber entered the store at 1317 S. Main St. at about 2:30 a.m., said officer Wendy Field, a Weatherford police spokeswoman. At the counter, he pulled a gun and demanded OxyContin.
He followed the employee behind the counter and grabbed a large amount of the pills, Field said. The man fled on foot, and investigators believe that he was not actually injured, Field said.
The man was Anglo, about 6-foot-4 and about 175 pounds. He wore a blue plaid long-sleeve shirt, bluejeans and tennis shoes.
The robber entered the store at 1317 S. Main St. at about 2:30 a.m., said officer Wendy Field, a Weatherford police spokeswoman. At the counter, he pulled a gun and demanded OxyContin.
He followed the employee behind the counter and grabbed a large amount of the pills, Field said. The man fled on foot, and investigators believe that he was not actually injured, Field said.
The man was Anglo, about 6-foot-4 and about 175 pounds. He wore a blue plaid long-sleeve shirt, bluejeans and tennis shoes.
Woman says she crashed while trying to avoid vampire
A woman says she crashed into a canal after spotting a vampire in the middle of a dirt road on the Western Slope on Sunday night.
The woman told the Colorado State Patrol that she saw the vampire in front of her car so she put her SUV into reverse and went into the canal in Mesa County. She was not injured and her name was not released.
State Patrol says it does not believe drugs or alcohol was involved in the crash and the woman was not charged.
However, investigators say there is evidence the woman was not taking her prescribed medication. They added they found no evidence of a vampire.
The woman told the Colorado State Patrol that she saw the vampire in front of her car so she put her SUV into reverse and went into the canal in Mesa County. She was not injured and her name was not released.
State Patrol says it does not believe drugs or alcohol was involved in the crash and the woman was not charged.
However, investigators say there is evidence the woman was not taking her prescribed medication. They added they found no evidence of a vampire.
Dad and daughter killed when car stops for ducks
A 16-year-old girl and her 59-year-old father were killed when their motorcycle collided with the car of a woman who had stopped to allow ducks to cross a highway.
The driver involved in a fatal accident on a highway south of Montreal on Sunday could face two charges of criminal negligence causing death. Quebec law prohibits stopping a vehicle on a highway.
The accident occurred at around 7:20 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 30 and Highway 15 on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River. The mother of the girl and spouse of the man driving the motorcycle were riding on another motorcycle and witnessed the tragic incident.
“The woman was arrested on Sunday night and released,” said police spokesman Ronald McInnis. “We have completed our investigation and have handed the case over to the Crown prosecutor who will decide if charges are laid.”
The driver involved in a fatal accident on a highway south of Montreal on Sunday could face two charges of criminal negligence causing death. Quebec law prohibits stopping a vehicle on a highway.
The accident occurred at around 7:20 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 30 and Highway 15 on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River. The mother of the girl and spouse of the man driving the motorcycle were riding on another motorcycle and witnessed the tragic incident.
“The woman was arrested on Sunday night and released,” said police spokesman Ronald McInnis. “We have completed our investigation and have handed the case over to the Crown prosecutor who will decide if charges are laid.”
Cucumber shortage leaves New Zealand sandwich lovers short
A winter shortage of cucumbers in New Zealand saw fans of the green vegetable lamenting its loss from their favourite sandwiches.
Notices were placed in the windows of Subway restaurants in the Taranaki region, informing customers that only two cucumber slices would go on six-inch subs instead of three, with five instead of six for foot-longs.
The cucumbers used by Subway in New Zealand are grown in hothouses, Subway marketing manager David Herrick said, but there was often a smaller crop in the middle of winter.
He said the organisation usually sourced extra stock from Australia. "Australia had very heavy rain, so they've got no telegraph cucumbers for us," Mr Herrick said.
There's a news video on this page.
Notices were placed in the windows of Subway restaurants in the Taranaki region, informing customers that only two cucumber slices would go on six-inch subs instead of three, with five instead of six for foot-longs.
The cucumbers used by Subway in New Zealand are grown in hothouses, Subway marketing manager David Herrick said, but there was often a smaller crop in the middle of winter.
He said the organisation usually sourced extra stock from Australia. "Australia had very heavy rain, so they've got no telegraph cucumbers for us," Mr Herrick said.
There's a news video on this page.
'Dead' man spends four years fighting to prove he is alive
A South African man mistakenly listed as dead by authorities has spent four years fighting to prove he is alive so he can get a passport, register a car and change his wife's marital status from "widowed". Claude Pretorius has been working to correct the bureaucratic error since 2006, when he discovered, while applying for a passport, that the Department of Home Affairs had listed him as dead.
"They told me that I could not apply for a passport as I am deceased," the Johannesburg man said. Mr Pretorius said he got a sworn affidavit from police affirming that he is alive and was issued a new identity number, enabling him to buy a car.
But the problem resurfaced last year when he tried to register the car with the traffic department. "I found out that my status has again been changed to deceased," he said. Three weeks ago, Mr Pretorius was given a ticket for failing to licence the vehicle.
"How is it possible for me to purchase cars, but the minute I need to obtain any form of licencing, I am declared deceased?" he complained. His wife has been unable to give legal help - since she is officially listed as his widow.
"They told me that I could not apply for a passport as I am deceased," the Johannesburg man said. Mr Pretorius said he got a sworn affidavit from police affirming that he is alive and was issued a new identity number, enabling him to buy a car.
But the problem resurfaced last year when he tried to register the car with the traffic department. "I found out that my status has again been changed to deceased," he said. Three weeks ago, Mr Pretorius was given a ticket for failing to licence the vehicle.
"How is it possible for me to purchase cars, but the minute I need to obtain any form of licencing, I am declared deceased?" he complained. His wife has been unable to give legal help - since she is officially listed as his widow.
Newspaper advert "eliminates" Brazil from World Cup finals
Readers of one of Brazil's biggest newspapers were surprised to read on Tuesday that their beloved national team had been knocked out of the World Cup, the day after Dunga's side had marched into the quarter-finals.
An advert wrongly posted in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper by a major supermarket chain expressed sadness at Brazil's "elimination" and told fans they could at least look forward to 2014, when the South American country will host the tournament.
Click for bigger.
"The team exited the World Cup, but not our hearts," said the advertisement for the Extra supermarket. "Thanks Brazil, we'll see you in 2014," it added.
Five-times World Cup winners Brazil, coached by Dunga, had in fact crushed Chile 3-0 to set up a quarter-final with Netherlands in Port Elizabeth on Friday. A spokesperson for the supermarket's parent company said the advert had been placed mistakenly by the newspaper.
An advert wrongly posted in the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper by a major supermarket chain expressed sadness at Brazil's "elimination" and told fans they could at least look forward to 2014, when the South American country will host the tournament.
Click for bigger.
"The team exited the World Cup, but not our hearts," said the advertisement for the Extra supermarket. "Thanks Brazil, we'll see you in 2014," it added.
Five-times World Cup winners Brazil, coached by Dunga, had in fact crushed Chile 3-0 to set up a quarter-final with Netherlands in Port Elizabeth on Friday. A spokesperson for the supermarket's parent company said the advert had been placed mistakenly by the newspaper.
Roubles rain down in Moscow car chase
Two Moscow officials face bribery charges following a car chase in which one of them allegedly threw bundles of roubles out of the window, Russian authorities say. Russian TV news shows scores of rouble notes being collected and dropped into a cardboard box on a Moscow highway.
One of the suspects, Boris Simonov, tried to throw away 10m roubles (£214,000; $322,000), the report alleged. He crashed his Cadillac in the chase. The TV programme showed two suspects handcuffed and lying on the road beside the smashed-up Cadillac, which was reported to be worth seven million roubles.
The crash happened as they were being chased by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents on a busy Moscow highway. Mr Simonov and his boss, Roman Postnikov, are accused of having taken bribes from businessmen involved in selling fishing permits at reservoirs on the outskirts of Moscow.
The arrested officials worked for the Federal Fisheries Agency and it is alleged that the businessmen used bribes to obtain an illegally back-dated contract. Mr Postnikov was arrested after meeting the businessmen elsewhere in Moscow.
One of the suspects, Boris Simonov, tried to throw away 10m roubles (£214,000; $322,000), the report alleged. He crashed his Cadillac in the chase. The TV programme showed two suspects handcuffed and lying on the road beside the smashed-up Cadillac, which was reported to be worth seven million roubles.
The crash happened as they were being chased by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents on a busy Moscow highway. Mr Simonov and his boss, Roman Postnikov, are accused of having taken bribes from businessmen involved in selling fishing permits at reservoirs on the outskirts of Moscow.
The arrested officials worked for the Federal Fisheries Agency and it is alleged that the businessmen used bribes to obtain an illegally back-dated contract. Mr Postnikov was arrested after meeting the businessmen elsewhere in Moscow.
Of Irish origin? Get the proof and earn discounts
Do you have Irish ancestry? Are you travelling to Ireland soon and hoping for discounts? The Irish government may have the answer for you. The Department of Foreign Affairs has issued a tender for a company to distribute "Certificates of Irish Heritage," which holders could display in their homes, give to their children as gifts or use to get discounts at Irish tourist attractions. As the tender document explains, anyone born in Ireland, born to an Irish parent or with a grandparent born in Ireland can qualify for full Irish citizenship.
However, those who are just "aware they are of Irish descent and feel a strong affinity for Ireland" but are too many generations removed to get an Irish passport would appreciate a document to prove their origins, the ministry said. Members of the Diaspora, which is estimated at 70 million, could get the certificates for an as-yet-unspecified fee. Eligibility criteria would not be "overly cumbersome" and probably won't require the submission of any original documents, though birth certificates, death or marriage records could be taken into consideration, the ministry said.
It said the idea had been one of the practical proposals of the "Global Irish Economic Forum" last year, a summit of CEOs and media personalities of Irish origin from around the world who brainstormed about ways of getting Ireland out of recession. It said the proposal had received an "overwhelmingly positive response" abroad. "We should not belittle or undermine the value of this sentiment," the ministry said in an e-mailed statement.
However, the press in Ireland was not so uniformly impressed. "Selling a cutesy little heirloom document purporting to confirm such identity, even at a modest fee, has predatory undertones," wrote Martina Devlin in a column for the Irish Independent newspaper. "It puts a price on something which shouldn't be bought or sold," Devlin said. She added: "What's on offer is tawdry, tricksy and really kind of icky. Prize bulls and pedigree dogs, even cars, can be certified - never people."
However, those who are just "aware they are of Irish descent and feel a strong affinity for Ireland" but are too many generations removed to get an Irish passport would appreciate a document to prove their origins, the ministry said. Members of the Diaspora, which is estimated at 70 million, could get the certificates for an as-yet-unspecified fee. Eligibility criteria would not be "overly cumbersome" and probably won't require the submission of any original documents, though birth certificates, death or marriage records could be taken into consideration, the ministry said.
It said the idea had been one of the practical proposals of the "Global Irish Economic Forum" last year, a summit of CEOs and media personalities of Irish origin from around the world who brainstormed about ways of getting Ireland out of recession. It said the proposal had received an "overwhelmingly positive response" abroad. "We should not belittle or undermine the value of this sentiment," the ministry said in an e-mailed statement.
However, the press in Ireland was not so uniformly impressed. "Selling a cutesy little heirloom document purporting to confirm such identity, even at a modest fee, has predatory undertones," wrote Martina Devlin in a column for the Irish Independent newspaper. "It puts a price on something which shouldn't be bought or sold," Devlin said. She added: "What's on offer is tawdry, tricksy and really kind of icky. Prize bulls and pedigree dogs, even cars, can be certified - never people."
'Noisy sex' woman spared jail for second time
A woman who made her neighbours' lives hell by having noisy sex has been spared jail for a second time. Caroline Cartwright admitted breaching an Asbo for a fourth time while "screaming" during sex with husband Steve, and playing loud music. Appearing at Newcastle Crown Court, the 49-year-old, of Hall Road, Washington, was given a 12-week prison term suspended for a year. She was told she would go to jail if she breached the order again.
The hearing was told how complaints about Mrs Cartwright's "shouting and screaming" during sex and her playing loud dance music had been ongoing for years. Neighbours, a postman and a woman taking her child to school originally complained about the noise to police, and she was given a noise abatement notice. She breached this notice five times and was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) in April 2005.
In January this year she received an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for breaching the Asbo three times. But in March her neighbour, Rachel O'Connor, called the police after hearing Mrs Cartwright shouting and screaming. Mrs Cartwright said: "I have tried to minimise the situation by having sex in the morning - not at night - so the noise was not waking anybody."
Recorder Jeremy Freedman told her that her guilty pleas had saved her from jail. He said: "It is clear to this court you have made your neighbours' lives thoroughly miserable and disturbed their sleep so they are tired when they go to work. It is in my judgment that this is thoroughly selfish behaviour. If you breach this Asbo you will be going to prison. This court is giving you one last chance."
The hearing was told how complaints about Mrs Cartwright's "shouting and screaming" during sex and her playing loud dance music had been ongoing for years. Neighbours, a postman and a woman taking her child to school originally complained about the noise to police, and she was given a noise abatement notice. She breached this notice five times and was made the subject of an anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) in April 2005.
In January this year she received an eight-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, for breaching the Asbo three times. But in March her neighbour, Rachel O'Connor, called the police after hearing Mrs Cartwright shouting and screaming. Mrs Cartwright said: "I have tried to minimise the situation by having sex in the morning - not at night - so the noise was not waking anybody."
Recorder Jeremy Freedman told her that her guilty pleas had saved her from jail. He said: "It is clear to this court you have made your neighbours' lives thoroughly miserable and disturbed their sleep so they are tired when they go to work. It is in my judgment that this is thoroughly selfish behaviour. If you breach this Asbo you will be going to prison. This court is giving you one last chance."
Toys R Us accountant ordered to pay back £3.4m after escort girl fraud
An accountant who secretly siphoned off almost £3.7 million from the children’s retailer Toys R Us to buy homes and luxury cars for a group of escort girls has been ordered to pay the money back or face an extra decade in prison. To colleagues at the company’s British headquarters in Maidenhead, Berks, where had worked for almost a quarter of a century, Paul Hopes was simply the quiet, greying account manager widely known as “Paul from finance”. He lived in an unremarkable 1960s semi in Woodley on the outskirts of Reading with his wife and two children and drove an ageing Vauxhall.
But for years, he maintained an extravagant double life involving high-class prostitutes, cocaine and five-star hotels during spells away on business. Described in court as a “Walter Mitty character”, he lived out his fantasies by buying sports cars including a Bentley, houses and even an estate in Nigeria for his secret mistresses. When an investigation finally uncovered his fraud, he initially claimed he had given the money to a “special friend” he met at a massage parlour in Reading. But he changed his plea to guilty as he was due to go on trial last year facing a string of charges of theft and money laundering. He was jailed for seven years.
Yesterday a judge at Reading Crown Court ordered him to repay £3.36 million of the £3.68 million he took under the Proceeds of Crime Act as police fraud investigators attempted to trace the funds. If he fails to repay the money, he see his sentence more than doubled with an extra 10 years in prison. The court heard that Hopes, an “accounts payable manager” at the retailer, diverted regular instalments of £300,000 to an account of a fictitious toy manufacturer which he controlled.
He named the fund Dunbar Associates after a prostitute with whom he had become besotted and to whom he eventually handed a total of more than £1.5 million pounds. He spent at least £2.4 million of the money he stole on five female escorts in all. They they bought two properties outright worth over £700,000, a string of expensive cars including a Bentley Continental Flying Spur, a Lexus RX400h, Toyota Land Cruiser and a BMW M3 convertible, as well as designer clothes and jewellery. One even bought a small estate in Nigeria covering more than 2 square miles.
But for years, he maintained an extravagant double life involving high-class prostitutes, cocaine and five-star hotels during spells away on business. Described in court as a “Walter Mitty character”, he lived out his fantasies by buying sports cars including a Bentley, houses and even an estate in Nigeria for his secret mistresses. When an investigation finally uncovered his fraud, he initially claimed he had given the money to a “special friend” he met at a massage parlour in Reading. But he changed his plea to guilty as he was due to go on trial last year facing a string of charges of theft and money laundering. He was jailed for seven years.
Yesterday a judge at Reading Crown Court ordered him to repay £3.36 million of the £3.68 million he took under the Proceeds of Crime Act as police fraud investigators attempted to trace the funds. If he fails to repay the money, he see his sentence more than doubled with an extra 10 years in prison. The court heard that Hopes, an “accounts payable manager” at the retailer, diverted regular instalments of £300,000 to an account of a fictitious toy manufacturer which he controlled.
He named the fund Dunbar Associates after a prostitute with whom he had become besotted and to whom he eventually handed a total of more than £1.5 million pounds. He spent at least £2.4 million of the money he stole on five female escorts in all. They they bought two properties outright worth over £700,000, a string of expensive cars including a Bentley Continental Flying Spur, a Lexus RX400h, Toyota Land Cruiser and a BMW M3 convertible, as well as designer clothes and jewellery. One even bought a small estate in Nigeria covering more than 2 square miles.
Mediterranean cruise passenger is 'still seasick after nine years'
A woman who went on a week-long Mediterranean cruise in her friend's boat developed a syndrome that has left her feeling seasick for nine years. Jane Houghton, 46, suffers from the rare Mal de Debarqument Syndrome which causes sufferers to feel the effects of bobbing about on a rough sea. She developed the condition during the trip to Palma, Spain, in June 2001, and struggled to get her land legs back. Almost a decade later, the mother-of-one said the condition has devastated her life.
Mrs Houghton, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: "It's a similar sensation to walking on a mattress or a trampoline. Everything around me is rocking and rolling. Objects sway about and I'm constantly unbalanced. On a good day, it's like being on a calm sea, but when I get a bad day, I can barely stand.
"When I first got off the boat, we treated it as a bit of a laugh. I went out for dinner and the tables were bobbing about. After a couple of weeks, I started to get seriously worried. My doctor thought I could be suffering from motion sickness, and gave me tablets, but nothing helped. I was referred for an MRI scan. I was petrified that I had a brain tumour, but when the results came back clear, I convinced myself I was going mad, to the point where I started feeling suicidal. My doctor was baffled."
Oddly, the only time she stops feeling seasick is when she is travelling on a boat, plane or train. After months of research, she eventually got a referral to the National Hospital for Neurology in London, where doctors confirmed that she was suffering from her rare condition. Despite spending months carrying out balance exercises, nothing could relieve her of her symptoms, and experts believe her brain may have "locked" itself into thinking it is constantly in motion.
Mrs Houghton, from Warrington, Cheshire, said: "It's a similar sensation to walking on a mattress or a trampoline. Everything around me is rocking and rolling. Objects sway about and I'm constantly unbalanced. On a good day, it's like being on a calm sea, but when I get a bad day, I can barely stand.
"When I first got off the boat, we treated it as a bit of a laugh. I went out for dinner and the tables were bobbing about. After a couple of weeks, I started to get seriously worried. My doctor thought I could be suffering from motion sickness, and gave me tablets, but nothing helped. I was referred for an MRI scan. I was petrified that I had a brain tumour, but when the results came back clear, I convinced myself I was going mad, to the point where I started feeling suicidal. My doctor was baffled."
Oddly, the only time she stops feeling seasick is when she is travelling on a boat, plane or train. After months of research, she eventually got a referral to the National Hospital for Neurology in London, where doctors confirmed that she was suffering from her rare condition. Despite spending months carrying out balance exercises, nothing could relieve her of her symptoms, and experts believe her brain may have "locked" itself into thinking it is constantly in motion.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)