Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Suspected car thief arrested despite spray-painting his face to avoid identification
A California man spray-painted his face black "in an effort to camouflage himself" and evade police, a Madera Police Department spokesman said.
But the "camouflage was ineffective," the spokesman added. The suspect, Jose Espinoza, 23, was arrested on Saturday night facing charges of possession of stolen property and theft of a vehicle.
Espinoza fled the first time police arrived at his house, but he was successfully apprehended when he later returned to his home and was allegedly seen with black spray paint on his face.
The spray paint bottle Espinoza allegedly used has been turned over as evidence. Espinoza was booked into Madera County Jail early on Sunday.
But the "camouflage was ineffective," the spokesman added. The suspect, Jose Espinoza, 23, was arrested on Saturday night facing charges of possession of stolen property and theft of a vehicle.
Espinoza fled the first time police arrived at his house, but he was successfully apprehended when he later returned to his home and was allegedly seen with black spray paint on his face.
The spray paint bottle Espinoza allegedly used has been turned over as evidence. Espinoza was booked into Madera County Jail early on Sunday.
Woman arrested for killing hunter's falcon with beaded scarf in attempt to save duck
An Idaho woman accused of attacking a hunter's falcon could face jail time.
Patti MacDonald, 60, is facing one misdemeanor count of beating or harassing an animal. MacDonald is scheduled to appear at an arraignment hearing on March 24 in Kootenai County District Court.
If found guilty, she could be sentenced to a maximum of six months in jail and $5,000 in fines.
The incident occurred on Jan. 7 when MacDonald allegedly parked near the spot where Scott Dinger's falcon, Hornet, was in the process of killing a duck the duo had successfully hunted.
As Dinger, 50, approached the scene, he saw his falcon, clearly injured, flying away. Dinger found Hornet dead about an hour later and said the bird had suffered a fractured skull and broken leg. Craig Walker, an Idaho Department of Fish and Game regional conservation officer, became aware of the incident the night it occurred and began an investigation. In his report, Walker wrote that his office received a phone call from an unidentified woman who said she saw a falcon take a duck from the air and then went to the aid of the duck and tried to scare away the falcon.
When the falcon remained in place holding the duck, the woman said she removed a scarf that had beads on it and beat the bird. "The woman later stated that she had been very upset about the duck being injured, but felt bad about injuring someone's pet, because she 'beat the crap out of it really hard,'" the report states. The report adds that another investigator was able to use the office's caller identification system to identify the anonymous caller as MacDonald.
Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said that after reviewing Walker's investigative materials, his office determined to pursue the misdemeanor charge. "The same penalties apply as with an animal cruelty charge," McHugh said. "This statute is more specific and appropriate for the alleged conduct." Dinger said that the charge was "unacceptable" and added that he wants the prosecutor's office to pursue a federal charge for "the unlawful take of a protected species." McHugh said pursuing federal charges is beyond his office's jurisdiction. "I certainly have no objection with Fish and Game pursuing that charge," he added.
As Dinger, 50, approached the scene, he saw his falcon, clearly injured, flying away. Dinger found Hornet dead about an hour later and said the bird had suffered a fractured skull and broken leg. Craig Walker, an Idaho Department of Fish and Game regional conservation officer, became aware of the incident the night it occurred and began an investigation. In his report, Walker wrote that his office received a phone call from an unidentified woman who said she saw a falcon take a duck from the air and then went to the aid of the duck and tried to scare away the falcon.
When the falcon remained in place holding the duck, the woman said she removed a scarf that had beads on it and beat the bird. "The woman later stated that she had been very upset about the duck being injured, but felt bad about injuring someone's pet, because she 'beat the crap out of it really hard,'" the report states. The report adds that another investigator was able to use the office's caller identification system to identify the anonymous caller as MacDonald.
Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh said that after reviewing Walker's investigative materials, his office determined to pursue the misdemeanor charge. "The same penalties apply as with an animal cruelty charge," McHugh said. "This statute is more specific and appropriate for the alleged conduct." Dinger said that the charge was "unacceptable" and added that he wants the prosecutor's office to pursue a federal charge for "the unlawful take of a protected species." McHugh said pursuing federal charges is beyond his office's jurisdiction. "I certainly have no objection with Fish and Game pursuing that charge," he added.
Elderly lady hit partner on head with a hammer after he tried to save her from falling out of bed
When a man from Holly Hill, Florida, tried to help his longtime partner who was falling out of bed on Thursday, the woman slapped him and later attacked him with a hammer, police said.
Anna Robertson, 83, was charged with battery on a person 65 years or older and aggravated battery causing bodily harm. Initially jailed without bail, Robertson was later released on her own recognizance.
Police said they were called to the home at 7:04am where Bobby Miller, 80, reported that Robertson was falling out of bed and he tried to help her but Robertson slapped him in the face, bending his glasses and causing his eye to swell. Miller said he went to the living room to watch television and 30 minutes later, Robertson came into the living room and hit him on the head with a hammer.
Robertson told police Miller insulted her by calling her a degrading name, so she hit him on the head with the hammer. Police said they found the hammer on a counter in the living with a small pool of blood underneath it. Miller, who said he had been living with Robertson for more than 40 years, had a swollen left eye and a lump on top of his head.
Anna Robertson, 83, was charged with battery on a person 65 years or older and aggravated battery causing bodily harm. Initially jailed without bail, Robertson was later released on her own recognizance.
Police said they were called to the home at 7:04am where Bobby Miller, 80, reported that Robertson was falling out of bed and he tried to help her but Robertson slapped him in the face, bending his glasses and causing his eye to swell. Miller said he went to the living room to watch television and 30 minutes later, Robertson came into the living room and hit him on the head with a hammer.
Robertson told police Miller insulted her by calling her a degrading name, so she hit him on the head with the hammer. Police said they found the hammer on a counter in the living with a small pool of blood underneath it. Miller, who said he had been living with Robertson for more than 40 years, had a swollen left eye and a lump on top of his head.
Controversy over plan to build Europe's tallest hotel in small Swiss mountain village
The owner of a thermal spa in Vals, a mountain village in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland, has sparked controversy with a proposal to build the tallest skyscraper in Europe to house a luxury hotel.
Remo Stoffel wants to build a 380-metre high tower, with 100 suites, designed by American Pritzker Prize winning architect Thom Mayne.
Mayne has acknowledged that his Los Angeles-based firm’s design has been selected, following a competition involving eight short-listed firms.
However, the project will not be officially presented until March 25th in Zurich. But already doubts have sprung up about the feasibility of the project and whether it will get the necessary approvals. The hotel would be just 16 metres wide and 30 metres long, and would be located not far from the Therme Vals spa, itself designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, another Pritzker Prize winner. The spa, featuring slabs of local granite and a grass roof, was built in 1996 over the only thermal springs in the canton of Graubünden, in the eastern part of Switzerland.
But critics have already lined up against the project to build a tower that would dwarf the current tallest building in Switzerland, Zurich’s Prime Tower (126 metres) and the Roche Tower under construction in Basel that will top out at 178 metres. In general, “skyscrapers built in the Alps are an absurdity,” Vittorio Lampugnani, architecture professor at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich said. "In the Alpine landscape there is no need to accommodate so many people in such a confined space", Lampugnani, an Italin architect, said.
The project is earmarked for a rural village with a population of around 1,000. But Stoffel and Vals quarry entrepreneur Pius Truffer reportedly have plans to make Vals an architectural mecca. “I know we are reaching for the stars,” Truffer said. “We want to build one of the five best hotels in the world.” The hotel would target wealthy businessmen from Asia and the Middle East, prepared to pay anywhere from 1,000 Swiss francs (£675, $1,000) to 25,000 francs (£17,000, $25,000) a night. The project will be subject to a vote of citizens in the village in the autumn.
However, the project will not be officially presented until March 25th in Zurich. But already doubts have sprung up about the feasibility of the project and whether it will get the necessary approvals. The hotel would be just 16 metres wide and 30 metres long, and would be located not far from the Therme Vals spa, itself designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, another Pritzker Prize winner. The spa, featuring slabs of local granite and a grass roof, was built in 1996 over the only thermal springs in the canton of Graubünden, in the eastern part of Switzerland.
But critics have already lined up against the project to build a tower that would dwarf the current tallest building in Switzerland, Zurich’s Prime Tower (126 metres) and the Roche Tower under construction in Basel that will top out at 178 metres. In general, “skyscrapers built in the Alps are an absurdity,” Vittorio Lampugnani, architecture professor at the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich said. "In the Alpine landscape there is no need to accommodate so many people in such a confined space", Lampugnani, an Italin architect, said.
The project is earmarked for a rural village with a population of around 1,000. But Stoffel and Vals quarry entrepreneur Pius Truffer reportedly have plans to make Vals an architectural mecca. “I know we are reaching for the stars,” Truffer said. “We want to build one of the five best hotels in the world.” The hotel would target wealthy businessmen from Asia and the Middle East, prepared to pay anywhere from 1,000 Swiss francs (£675, $1,000) to 25,000 francs (£17,000, $25,000) a night. The project will be subject to a vote of citizens in the village in the autumn.
French pensioner caught smuggling Russian wife in suitcase
Polish border guards conducting a check in a train heading from Moscow to Nice in France were astonished when they opened one of the suitcases, only to find a 30-year-old Russian woman inside.
"Foreigners adopt every means imaginable to cross the border, but this is the first time I am dealing with a person hidden inside a suitcase," Dariusz Sienicki, a spokesman for the border service, said on Monday. The border guards in Terespol, on the border with Belarus were alarmed by a suspiciously large suitcase in the coupe of one of the passengers.
And their fears did not prove unfounded. “Hi, and this is my wife”, her sexagenarian French husband said when officers opened the luggage. The woman in the suitcase was feeling well and did not require medical attention,” said Sienicki. The police said that approximately 100 people a year try to sneak in through the border, and that those caught face a punishment of up to three years in jail.
But on this occasion, the service decided not to prosecute the couple, and sent them back to Russia. Ironically, as the spouse of a French citizen, the Russian woman was entitled to apply for a visa to enter the EU. “If she was just sitting next to him, instead of in a suitcase, she would have been fine,” Sienicki said.
"Foreigners adopt every means imaginable to cross the border, but this is the first time I am dealing with a person hidden inside a suitcase," Dariusz Sienicki, a spokesman for the border service, said on Monday. The border guards in Terespol, on the border with Belarus were alarmed by a suspiciously large suitcase in the coupe of one of the passengers.
And their fears did not prove unfounded. “Hi, and this is my wife”, her sexagenarian French husband said when officers opened the luggage. The woman in the suitcase was feeling well and did not require medical attention,” said Sienicki. The police said that approximately 100 people a year try to sneak in through the border, and that those caught face a punishment of up to three years in jail.
But on this occasion, the service decided not to prosecute the couple, and sent them back to Russia. Ironically, as the spouse of a French citizen, the Russian woman was entitled to apply for a visa to enter the EU. “If she was just sitting next to him, instead of in a suitcase, she would have been fine,” Sienicki said.
Cathedral cat suspected of attacking dogs
Louis, a 17-year-old ginger tom, has become a beloved feature of Wells cathedral in Somerset.
But Louis has found himself in a bit of bother after a cat answering his description was accused of a series of rather nasty attacks on dogs in the peaceful city.
The owner of one alleged canine victim, Mandie Stone-Outten, said her springer spaniel Millie was targeted in Market Place close to the cathedral. “This dangerous, semi-feral cat pounced like a wild lion in the jungle on to my dog Millie’s head,” she said.
“It all happened really quickly. I pulled the lead backwards and went flying down the kerb, into the gutter and ended up in a heap in muddy rainwater, in the gulley in the market place. That cat has serious issues.
“Be aware – this ball of fluff is not as cute and cuddly as he looks. I’ve got a battered elbow, battered knee and a sore wrist,” added Stone-Outten, from Shepton Mallet, Somerset. She added: “I think that cat has got history; it was far too good for that to have been his first attack - he knows what he’s doing. A couple of people told me it was Louis the cathedral cat and that he was semi-feral and he did sometimes go a bit crazy. A lot of people have told me that they’ve never seen him like this before, but I think they’re just trying to protect him.” Louis began living at the great 12th century church a decade ago to keep any mice at bay. He has become so popular he has even starred in a children’s book called Louis the Cathedral Cat and features in a range of merchandise including clocks, coasters and wine-stoppers available in the gift shop.
Debbie Sheppard, who works at the Present Company in Market Place, saw the aftermath of the Millie incident – and spotted Louis stalking off looking “very subdued.” She said: “Louis likes to sleep in here and he had been in here on the day in question. It was nearing the end of the day and so I put Louis outside so he didn’t get locked in here overnight. The next thing I heard was this hissing and when I looked outside Louis was walking up the street looking very subdued.” Sheppard insisted Louis was a very nice, gentle animal. “He’s a very sweet cat and I certainly don’t think he’s suddenly turned nasty.” The last time she saw Louis he was being stroked by children on their way to school – and definitely not lashing out.
There have been at least two other attacks involving a ginger tom around the cathedral but there is a chance that it could all be a case of mistaken identify. Debbie added: “I’ve heard there is another ginger cat around at the moment and it’s quite possible that it’s him attacking dogs. We don’t know for sure whether or not Louis was involved. Louis had definitely been in the shop just before the incident happened outside, but it could have been a different cat.” A spokesperson for Wells Cathedral said Louis could be a little distant but had not been known to be aggressive. She said: “It’s difficult to say whether it was Louis, unfortunately. While he can be rather aloof with our visitors, we know of at least two other ginger cats in the area who also enjoy strolling through the streets of Wells. Most importantly, we do hope the dog and her owner have recovered from the experience which must have been a shock for them both.”
“Be aware – this ball of fluff is not as cute and cuddly as he looks. I’ve got a battered elbow, battered knee and a sore wrist,” added Stone-Outten, from Shepton Mallet, Somerset. She added: “I think that cat has got history; it was far too good for that to have been his first attack - he knows what he’s doing. A couple of people told me it was Louis the cathedral cat and that he was semi-feral and he did sometimes go a bit crazy. A lot of people have told me that they’ve never seen him like this before, but I think they’re just trying to protect him.” Louis began living at the great 12th century church a decade ago to keep any mice at bay. He has become so popular he has even starred in a children’s book called Louis the Cathedral Cat and features in a range of merchandise including clocks, coasters and wine-stoppers available in the gift shop.
Debbie Sheppard, who works at the Present Company in Market Place, saw the aftermath of the Millie incident – and spotted Louis stalking off looking “very subdued.” She said: “Louis likes to sleep in here and he had been in here on the day in question. It was nearing the end of the day and so I put Louis outside so he didn’t get locked in here overnight. The next thing I heard was this hissing and when I looked outside Louis was walking up the street looking very subdued.” Sheppard insisted Louis was a very nice, gentle animal. “He’s a very sweet cat and I certainly don’t think he’s suddenly turned nasty.” The last time she saw Louis he was being stroked by children on their way to school – and definitely not lashing out.
There have been at least two other attacks involving a ginger tom around the cathedral but there is a chance that it could all be a case of mistaken identify. Debbie added: “I’ve heard there is another ginger cat around at the moment and it’s quite possible that it’s him attacking dogs. We don’t know for sure whether or not Louis was involved. Louis had definitely been in the shop just before the incident happened outside, but it could have been a different cat.” A spokesperson for Wells Cathedral said Louis could be a little distant but had not been known to be aggressive. She said: “It’s difficult to say whether it was Louis, unfortunately. While he can be rather aloof with our visitors, we know of at least two other ginger cats in the area who also enjoy strolling through the streets of Wells. Most importantly, we do hope the dog and her owner have recovered from the experience which must have been a shock for them both.”
Would-be robber disguised in zebra print onesie caught after police followed tracks in the snow
A man who tried to rob a shopkeeper at knifepoint while disguised in a zebra print onesie, was recognised as soon as he opened his mouth and demanded cash, a court was told.
Jack Brooks, 22, had been in The Bottle Shop in Burnley, Lancashire, earlier to buy drink and had even been given a free bottle of alcohol by victim Mushtaq Ahmed as he had been so friendly.
Mr Ahmed, who was working in the convenience store alone, thought it might be a joke when the defendant, by now wearing the zebra outfit, walked in again an hour later. But he soon realised it wasn’t, when Brooks pulled a large carving knife on him, terrifying him, Burnley Crown Court heard.
The hearing was told how Brooks fled from the shop empty-handed after courageous Mr Ahmed got some metal piping and challenged him. He then made off with some men with a bike. Police followed the tracks in the snow and a resident told them Brooks had just gone into a house in the onesie.
Brooks, of Burnley, admitted attempted robbery and possessing a bladed article, on January 17th. The defendant, a convicted arsonist and burglar, was jailed for two years eight months. Judge Beverly Lunt said Brooks had been a persistent offender since 2011. She said: “It wasn’t a particularly clever robbery. You were quite quickly recognised.”
Mr Ahmed, who was working in the convenience store alone, thought it might be a joke when the defendant, by now wearing the zebra outfit, walked in again an hour later. But he soon realised it wasn’t, when Brooks pulled a large carving knife on him, terrifying him, Burnley Crown Court heard.
The hearing was told how Brooks fled from the shop empty-handed after courageous Mr Ahmed got some metal piping and challenged him. He then made off with some men with a bike. Police followed the tracks in the snow and a resident told them Brooks had just gone into a house in the onesie.
Brooks, of Burnley, admitted attempted robbery and possessing a bladed article, on January 17th. The defendant, a convicted arsonist and burglar, was jailed for two years eight months. Judge Beverly Lunt said Brooks had been a persistent offender since 2011. She said: “It wasn’t a particularly clever robbery. You were quite quickly recognised.”
Man tasked with tackling anti-social behaviour fined for anti-social behaviour
A member of a joint police-council task force aiming to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in Rushmoor and Hart in Hampshire has resigned after being fined more than £600 for sending a series of threatening messages on Facebook.
Richard Denham, of Farnborough, who worked for Safer North Hampshire, pleaded guilty to sending communications conveying indecent or offensive messages at Aldershot Magistrates’ Court on March 5.
Denham, 30, sent the series of Facebook messages to David Frood, an acquaintance of more than 15 years, between September and November last year.
The court heard Denham’s former partner, also a friend of Mr Frood, was at the centre of the case, while the fact the defendant had been in a relationship with a second woman who was looking after Mr Frood’s elderly mother was also a significant detail. Prosecutor Serena Edwards said: “It seems there had been some misunderstanding between the parties. As a result, the defendant believed Mr Frood had bad-mouthed his attitude towards women. The result was a series of messages to the victim over a number of days.” Ms Edwards read out to the court messages from the defendant to Mr Frood, accusing him of saying he treated women badly and that he was a "nasty piece of work".
After Mr Frood responded denying the allegations, Denham sent a message saying: “Cool, bro. I’m glad your mum has no involvement. May Allah take care of those who do. Just ask your mum for old time’s sake so I can unload my shotgun, ha ha.” Denham admitted sending the messages after being arrested, but said that he did not think they were threatening and had wanted to "mess with him". He later accepted the messages were "not pleasant", adding the shotgun comment was "just banter" and "not intended as a threat". He also told officers he was depressed at the time because he was dealing with a separation and had been on medication.
Chairman of the bench Amelia Ashton fined Denham £665 and ordered he pay both a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £85. He was also given a one-year restraining order, forbidding him from contacting Mr Frood. Safer North Hampshire is a collaboration between the community safety teams from Rushmoor Borough Council, Hart District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. It aims to raise understanding of community issues, and improve safety and quality of life in the area. There is an anti-social behaviour team that works with partner agencies to reduce offending. A spokesman for Rushmoor Borough Council said Denham was suspended pending the outcome of the court case and had since offered his resignation from the team, which had been accepted.
The court heard Denham’s former partner, also a friend of Mr Frood, was at the centre of the case, while the fact the defendant had been in a relationship with a second woman who was looking after Mr Frood’s elderly mother was also a significant detail. Prosecutor Serena Edwards said: “It seems there had been some misunderstanding between the parties. As a result, the defendant believed Mr Frood had bad-mouthed his attitude towards women. The result was a series of messages to the victim over a number of days.” Ms Edwards read out to the court messages from the defendant to Mr Frood, accusing him of saying he treated women badly and that he was a "nasty piece of work".
After Mr Frood responded denying the allegations, Denham sent a message saying: “Cool, bro. I’m glad your mum has no involvement. May Allah take care of those who do. Just ask your mum for old time’s sake so I can unload my shotgun, ha ha.” Denham admitted sending the messages after being arrested, but said that he did not think they were threatening and had wanted to "mess with him". He later accepted the messages were "not pleasant", adding the shotgun comment was "just banter" and "not intended as a threat". He also told officers he was depressed at the time because he was dealing with a separation and had been on medication.
Chairman of the bench Amelia Ashton fined Denham £665 and ordered he pay both a victim surcharge of £60 and costs of £85. He was also given a one-year restraining order, forbidding him from contacting Mr Frood. Safer North Hampshire is a collaboration between the community safety teams from Rushmoor Borough Council, Hart District Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council. It aims to raise understanding of community issues, and improve safety and quality of life in the area. There is an anti-social behaviour team that works with partner agencies to reduce offending. A spokesman for Rushmoor Borough Council said Denham was suspended pending the outcome of the court case and had since offered his resignation from the team, which had been accepted.
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