Wednesday, October 08, 2014
Man charged with flushing nails down toilets
A 38-year-old Minnesota man has been charged with criminal damage to property after police say he flushed several pounds of nails down a number of toilets at various businesses, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
According to a criminal complaint, police were dispatched to a Subway in Eagan on a report of property damage, where they met with the manager. The manager told them a man dumped two pounds of nails down the toilet and this was the third time it has happened at their location.
The first time it happened was on Aug. 6 and two days later, it happened again. The manager told police a plumber came to fix the toilet after the Aug. 6 incident and charged $1,000 to remove the nails and repair the plumbing. In each incident, approximately two pounds of nails were flushed. The manager told police they had the suspect on video on Aug. 18 and supplied authorities with photos. On Aug. 30, officers were again called to the Subway restaurant, as the suspect had returned to the scene. Police identified the man as Nicholas Mullenmaster, of St. Paul. Mullenmaster denied any involvement.
On Sept. 3, Eagan police officers were dispatched to the Transit Station, which is about a block away from Subway, on a report that a man flushed approximately three pounds of nails down the toilet, clogging the sewer system. The manager told police it caused about $800 in damage. The suspect’s description matched that of Mullenmaster and mail, which was discovered by plumbers in the toilet, was also addressed to Mullenmaster. A similar incident happened on Sept. 26 at a Starbucks in Eagan, where the plumbing was backed up for three days. In that case, the sewer system caused flooding on the floors and forced the store to close from 10am until 2pm. Nails were again discovered in the store’s plumbing. Employees identified Mullenmaster as a regular at the store and said they noticed him going to the restroom for long periods of time.
YouTube link.
Police were called again when Mullenmaster returned to the Starbucks the next day. Officers located Mullenmaster at a nearby Leeann Chin, where the restaurant manager told police he was in the bathroom. Officers knocked on the door and heard metallic objects hitting porcelain, as well as the toilet flushing. When Mullenmaster came out, officers noticed he was carrying bags. Inside one bag was a large amount of silver, three-inch nails and a receipt from Home Depot. The nails in the bag matched the nails removed from the plumbing at Starbucks. Officers were also notified that the restroom at the Starbucks was still closed — the damage was so extensive, the plumber had to cut through the wall to try and correct it. Mullenmaster has been charged with first-degree criminal damage to property. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
The first time it happened was on Aug. 6 and two days later, it happened again. The manager told police a plumber came to fix the toilet after the Aug. 6 incident and charged $1,000 to remove the nails and repair the plumbing. In each incident, approximately two pounds of nails were flushed. The manager told police they had the suspect on video on Aug. 18 and supplied authorities with photos. On Aug. 30, officers were again called to the Subway restaurant, as the suspect had returned to the scene. Police identified the man as Nicholas Mullenmaster, of St. Paul. Mullenmaster denied any involvement.
On Sept. 3, Eagan police officers were dispatched to the Transit Station, which is about a block away from Subway, on a report that a man flushed approximately three pounds of nails down the toilet, clogging the sewer system. The manager told police it caused about $800 in damage. The suspect’s description matched that of Mullenmaster and mail, which was discovered by plumbers in the toilet, was also addressed to Mullenmaster. A similar incident happened on Sept. 26 at a Starbucks in Eagan, where the plumbing was backed up for three days. In that case, the sewer system caused flooding on the floors and forced the store to close from 10am until 2pm. Nails were again discovered in the store’s plumbing. Employees identified Mullenmaster as a regular at the store and said they noticed him going to the restroom for long periods of time.
YouTube link.
Police were called again when Mullenmaster returned to the Starbucks the next day. Officers located Mullenmaster at a nearby Leeann Chin, where the restaurant manager told police he was in the bathroom. Officers knocked on the door and heard metallic objects hitting porcelain, as well as the toilet flushing. When Mullenmaster came out, officers noticed he was carrying bags. Inside one bag was a large amount of silver, three-inch nails and a receipt from Home Depot. The nails in the bag matched the nails removed from the plumbing at Starbucks. Officers were also notified that the restroom at the Starbucks was still closed — the damage was so extensive, the plumber had to cut through the wall to try and correct it. Mullenmaster has been charged with first-degree criminal damage to property. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison.
Fire truck burst into flames during response
A fire truck in Maryland burst into flames while responding to an emergency call on Monday afternoon.
A Montgomery County Fire and Rescue truck was responding to a commercial building fire when mechanical issues forced it to pull over.
Soon after, the vehicle’s engine and cab area burst into flames. Another Montgomery County fire unit that was with the truck extinguished the blaze. All firefighters aboard were unharmed.
The crew managed to save a majority of the truck’s equipment, which will be tested before being put onto a new fire engine. The truck was station's only vehicle equipped with a ladder, so crews are working to get another in service.
Investigators are working to determine the fire’s cause. The fire which the truck was initially responding to, which appears to have originated in the air conditioning, was quickly put out as well. The cost of the damage is unknown.
Soon after, the vehicle’s engine and cab area burst into flames. Another Montgomery County fire unit that was with the truck extinguished the blaze. All firefighters aboard were unharmed.
The crew managed to save a majority of the truck’s equipment, which will be tested before being put onto a new fire engine. The truck was station's only vehicle equipped with a ladder, so crews are working to get another in service.
Investigators are working to determine the fire’s cause. The fire which the truck was initially responding to, which appears to have originated in the air conditioning, was quickly put out as well. The cost of the damage is unknown.
Woman dressed as Ninja Turtle robbed motel
Police in Midvale, Utah, are searching for a woman who dressed as a Ninja Turtle and robbed a motel.
Lt. John Barker of the Unified Police Department said the woman is in her early to mid-20s.
She was dressed in all green with a black mask covering her eyes and wearing green face paint. Barker said the woman walked into the Super 8 Motel just before midnight on Sunday.
She pulled out a pocket knife and demanded money from the clerk behind the reservation desk, he said. The robber fled with some cash, and witnesses saw a car leaving the area at the same time.
“We are unsure if she got in the car or left on foot,” Barker said. He said no one was injured and investigators are not sure how much money the robber got. They are checking surveillance video to get a clearer look at her.
She was dressed in all green with a black mask covering her eyes and wearing green face paint. Barker said the woman walked into the Super 8 Motel just before midnight on Sunday.
She pulled out a pocket knife and demanded money from the clerk behind the reservation desk, he said. The robber fled with some cash, and witnesses saw a car leaving the area at the same time.
“We are unsure if she got in the car or left on foot,” Barker said. He said no one was injured and investigators are not sure how much money the robber got. They are checking surveillance video to get a clearer look at her.
Mystery of black bear cub found dead on bicycle in New York's Central Park
A three-foot bear was found dead Monday morning in Central Park with signs of trauma.
At around 9:45am, the cub was found beneath some bushes by a dog-walker in an area that is crowded throughout the day.
“The bicycle was under the bushes and part of the bicycle was sticking out, and that’s what we saw,” Florence Slatkin said.
Slatkin said she went to investigate after seeing the bicycle sticking out from under a bush. “We went over and looked and there was something laying on the back wheel. I thought it was a raccoon, but when I went closer it looked like a dead dog,” Slatkin said. Slatkin called over some workers with the park conservancy and that’s when they realized it was a bear.
“It was awful, because obviously this animal didn’t die naturally,” she said. Sources say the bear had stab and slash wounds on its body. It’s not believed that the bear lived in New York City, but rather was dumped from a car considering the proximity to the roadway.
YouTube link.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took possession of the bear and drove it up to Albany where it will undergo a necropsy. The NYPD is investigating this as an animal cruelty case. It is a violation of the health code to dispose of an animal’s body in the park. If found, the offender faces possible health code violation charges in addition to possible animal cruelty charges.
Update: Apparently the cub died after being struck by a car.
Slatkin said she went to investigate after seeing the bicycle sticking out from under a bush. “We went over and looked and there was something laying on the back wheel. I thought it was a raccoon, but when I went closer it looked like a dead dog,” Slatkin said. Slatkin called over some workers with the park conservancy and that’s when they realized it was a bear.
“It was awful, because obviously this animal didn’t die naturally,” she said. Sources say the bear had stab and slash wounds on its body. It’s not believed that the bear lived in New York City, but rather was dumped from a car considering the proximity to the roadway.
YouTube link.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took possession of the bear and drove it up to Albany where it will undergo a necropsy. The NYPD is investigating this as an animal cruelty case. It is a violation of the health code to dispose of an animal’s body in the park. If found, the offender faces possible health code violation charges in addition to possible animal cruelty charges.
Update: Apparently the cub died after being struck by a car.
Cat received live-saving blood transfusion from dog
A cat in Florida has some bark in its blood following a blood transfusion from a dog.
Dr. Sean Perry from the Marathon Veterinary Hospital in Key West conducted the lifesaving transfusion on Buttercup, an orange tabby, using dog's blood. The transfusion, known as a xenotransfusion, is a rare procedure in which cats can continue to generate red blood cells after they're fused with dog's blood.
The transfusion, the blood came from a West Palm Beach dog blood bank (they exist), lasted four hours and was suggested after veterinarians told Buttercup's owner, Ernie Saunders, that it would take days and possibly weeks to have cat blood shipped to the Middle Keys.
Dog blood, which the hospital already had, was an immediate alternative. "It's a situation where you can't give type A blood to a type B blood cat because it'll cause a severe immune reaction," Perry said. "It was actually safer to give the cat dog's blood. It's a practice that's been used in the past but it's not common." Saunders became concerned after Buttercup became too lethargic, even by cat standards. After a few tests, veterinarians learned Buttercup's red blood cell count was down to 7 percent, making him anemic. Perry said cats should have a red blood cell count of at least 35 percent.
That led to the need for a transfusion. "Cat's blood is a little harder to come by and not as available as dog's blood," Perry said. "We had greyhound blood packs that we get from a blood bank that has red blood cells separated from plasma. Buttercup showed no signs of rejection during the transfusion." Perry said as far as veterinarians know, cats are the only animal that accept transfused blood from dogs. According to the US National Library of Medicine, 62 cats have been known to have a xenotransfusion. Cats lack antibodies against canine red blood cell antigens, a substance that causes the immune system to react.
After the transfusion, however, the cat's immune system will build the antibody - a protein in an animal's immune system that reacts to potential threats - against the canine antigen, limiting the xenotransfusion to a one-time procedure. Perry said should Buttercup receive any more dog's blood, the cat's immune system would go into attack mode. Saunders said Buttercup has been more active since the procedure and continues to take steroids and antibiotics. Saunders also learned his cat had a bit of an identity crisis. “I found out he was a male instead of a female," Saunders said. "I let a charter guy's daughter name it Buttercup. Personally, I just call him Kitty." Veterinarians are unsure why the cat's red blood cell count got so low.
Dog blood, which the hospital already had, was an immediate alternative. "It's a situation where you can't give type A blood to a type B blood cat because it'll cause a severe immune reaction," Perry said. "It was actually safer to give the cat dog's blood. It's a practice that's been used in the past but it's not common." Saunders became concerned after Buttercup became too lethargic, even by cat standards. After a few tests, veterinarians learned Buttercup's red blood cell count was down to 7 percent, making him anemic. Perry said cats should have a red blood cell count of at least 35 percent.
That led to the need for a transfusion. "Cat's blood is a little harder to come by and not as available as dog's blood," Perry said. "We had greyhound blood packs that we get from a blood bank that has red blood cells separated from plasma. Buttercup showed no signs of rejection during the transfusion." Perry said as far as veterinarians know, cats are the only animal that accept transfused blood from dogs. According to the US National Library of Medicine, 62 cats have been known to have a xenotransfusion. Cats lack antibodies against canine red blood cell antigens, a substance that causes the immune system to react.
After the transfusion, however, the cat's immune system will build the antibody - a protein in an animal's immune system that reacts to potential threats - against the canine antigen, limiting the xenotransfusion to a one-time procedure. Perry said should Buttercup receive any more dog's blood, the cat's immune system would go into attack mode. Saunders said Buttercup has been more active since the procedure and continues to take steroids and antibiotics. Saunders also learned his cat had a bit of an identity crisis. “I found out he was a male instead of a female," Saunders said. "I let a charter guy's daughter name it Buttercup. Personally, I just call him Kitty." Veterinarians are unsure why the cat's red blood cell count got so low.
Fisherman rescued after getting stuck upside-down in anchor
A fisherman wss rescued on Saturday after he accidentally got stuck in the anchor of his boat off Taiwan.
The man had been using the anchor winch when he caught his feet and ended up suspended upside-down in the air.
The more he struggled, the more tightly he became trapped.
YouTube link.
Fortunately he had his mobile phone in his pocket and was able to call the police who alerted the coastguard who came to his rescue. When the coastguard eventually arrived he had been trapped for more than an hour.
The man had been using the anchor winch when he caught his feet and ended up suspended upside-down in the air.
The more he struggled, the more tightly he became trapped.
YouTube link.
Fortunately he had his mobile phone in his pocket and was able to call the police who alerted the coastguard who came to his rescue. When the coastguard eventually arrived he had been trapped for more than an hour.
Ugandan orphans denied entry into UK without parental consent
A children's choir from Uganda with 20 orphaned members has been refused entry into the UK because they did not have parental consent letters.
Africa with Love, based in Norwich, had planned to bring the choir to the UK to sing and raise money for its school.
But the children were denied visas because they had not all got written parental consent. The Home Office said the unaccompanied children had to bring "consent letters from parents or guardians" with them. Elizabeth Lansdowne, from the charity, said: "The 20 orphans do not have either one or both parents and the staff from the school were their proxy parents.
"The consulate man did not believe we were a genuine charity." The tour had to be called off just days before the choir would have left Uganda. The charity has lost £46,000 that it spent funding the trip and the orphans' school any sponsorship money it would have raised. A Ugandan official had provided a covering letter to guarantee that all the choir members would return home.
However, the Home Office insisted: "Consent letters from parents or guardians are required for unaccompanied children wishing to travel to the UK." The charity has lodged appeals to the Home Office and other government departments but said it accepted the tour would not now take place.
But the children were denied visas because they had not all got written parental consent. The Home Office said the unaccompanied children had to bring "consent letters from parents or guardians" with them. Elizabeth Lansdowne, from the charity, said: "The 20 orphans do not have either one or both parents and the staff from the school were their proxy parents.
"The consulate man did not believe we were a genuine charity." The tour had to be called off just days before the choir would have left Uganda. The charity has lost £46,000 that it spent funding the trip and the orphans' school any sponsorship money it would have raised. A Ugandan official had provided a covering letter to guarantee that all the choir members would return home.
However, the Home Office insisted: "Consent letters from parents or guardians are required for unaccompanied children wishing to travel to the UK." The charity has lodged appeals to the Home Office and other government departments but said it accepted the tour would not now take place.
Pub offers to nail unruly children to tables
A Bedfordshire pub which put up a sign offering to nail people's unruly children to their table has defended it as "just a bit of fun".
The sign was put up by Nikki Brodin at the Black Lion in Leighton Buzzard, who said she did not want screaming children running round.
It suggests staff would "happily nail it [your child] to your table... to avoid accident or injury" to the child. Miss Brodin said the sign was not intended to offend. She said the pub welcomed children but wanted people to "talk and socialise and not have children running around screaming".
The pub does not serve food, nor does it have music or a television. Instead it encourages customers to talk to each other over board games. "We certainly didn't want to ban kids, we just believe in traditional values. It's just a bit of fun," Miss Brodin said. "It's not to offend anybody - we have children ourselves."
Debbie Bird, family editor at Babyworld.co.uk, said while she recognised the sign was "tongue-in-cheek" some of the wording was "a little bit aggressive". She said it was important that children were "exposed to social events" such as going out to pubs and eating in restaurants. "They won't learn unless you give them a chance," she said.
It suggests staff would "happily nail it [your child] to your table... to avoid accident or injury" to the child. Miss Brodin said the sign was not intended to offend. She said the pub welcomed children but wanted people to "talk and socialise and not have children running around screaming".
The pub does not serve food, nor does it have music or a television. Instead it encourages customers to talk to each other over board games. "We certainly didn't want to ban kids, we just believe in traditional values. It's just a bit of fun," Miss Brodin said. "It's not to offend anybody - we have children ourselves."
Debbie Bird, family editor at Babyworld.co.uk, said while she recognised the sign was "tongue-in-cheek" some of the wording was "a little bit aggressive". She said it was important that children were "exposed to social events" such as going out to pubs and eating in restaurants. "They won't learn unless you give them a chance," she said.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)