Sunday, May 15, 2011
Man practicing quickdraw accidentally shoots fictional gangster and neighbour's TV
A man who was practicing quickdraw with his gun in his apartment on Wednesday afternoon accidentally fired off a shot that went through a wall and into another apartment. At about 2:51 p.m.on May 11, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at the apartment of Travis T. Hood, 27, in Cedar Mill. Hood had called 911 and said his .357 Magnum gun went off while he was cleaning it. He told police the bullet went through the wall into another apartment and he didn’t know if anyone was home next door.
After deputies talked to Hood, they tried to contact someone inside his neighbours apartment. No one came to the door so they obtained a key from the manager and went in. They searched the apartment and found that no one was home. They quickly found the hole in the wall where the bullet had entered the apartment and traced the trajectory to a 40-inch flat screen television on the opposite wall that had a hole in the middle of the screen.
Hood was cooperative and showed deputies where he had shot the wall in his apartment. He also admitted he had not been cleaning his gun when it went off. He had actually been practicing his quickdraw and accidently fired the gun when he drew it from the holster. He had been aiming at a poster of Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, in the movie "The Godfather" on the wall when it happened.
After the bullet went through the poster, seeming to hit Pacino in the left shoulder, Hood went to the neighbour’s apartment and tried to get someone to come to the door. When no one answered, he thought he had shot someone inside and then called 911. One of the deputies said that if there was someone sitting on the couch watching the TV in the apartment the bullet accidentally went into, the person would have likely been hit by the bullet. Hood was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail where he was booked on charges of unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering life.
After deputies talked to Hood, they tried to contact someone inside his neighbours apartment. No one came to the door so they obtained a key from the manager and went in. They searched the apartment and found that no one was home. They quickly found the hole in the wall where the bullet had entered the apartment and traced the trajectory to a 40-inch flat screen television on the opposite wall that had a hole in the middle of the screen.
Hood was cooperative and showed deputies where he had shot the wall in his apartment. He also admitted he had not been cleaning his gun when it went off. He had actually been practicing his quickdraw and accidently fired the gun when he drew it from the holster. He had been aiming at a poster of Michael Corleone, played by Al Pacino, in the movie "The Godfather" on the wall when it happened.
After the bullet went through the poster, seeming to hit Pacino in the left shoulder, Hood went to the neighbour’s apartment and tried to get someone to come to the door. When no one answered, he thought he had shot someone inside and then called 911. One of the deputies said that if there was someone sitting on the couch watching the TV in the apartment the bullet accidentally went into, the person would have likely been hit by the bullet. Hood was arrested and taken to the Washington County Jail where he was booked on charges of unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering life.
Man carrying suitcases containing leopards, panthers, a bear and monkeys arrested at Bangkok airport
A first-class passenger has been arrested at a Thai airport after being found carrying suitcases filled with baby leopards, panthers, a bear and monkeys. The animals had been drugged and were headed for Dubai.
The man, a 36-year-old United Arab Emirates citizen, was waiting to check in for his flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport when he was apprehended by undercover anti-trafficking officers who had been monitoring him since his black-market purchase of the rare and endangered animals, according to the Freeland Foundation, an anti-trafficking group based in Thailand.
When authorities opened the suitcases, the animals yawned, said Steven Galster, director of Freeland, who was present during the arrest. There were two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys – all about the size of puppies. "It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much," Galster said. Some of the animals had been placed inside canisters with air holes.
YouTube link.
Authorities have said the man was part of a trafficking network. They are searching for accomplices. "It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before," Galster said. "The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases." Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam. Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual. "We haven't seen this mixture [of animals] before," Galster said. "It's amazing. We were really surprised."
The man, a 36-year-old United Arab Emirates citizen, was waiting to check in for his flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi international airport when he was apprehended by undercover anti-trafficking officers who had been monitoring him since his black-market purchase of the rare and endangered animals, according to the Freeland Foundation, an anti-trafficking group based in Thailand.
When authorities opened the suitcases, the animals yawned, said Steven Galster, director of Freeland, who was present during the arrest. There were two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys – all about the size of puppies. "It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much," Galster said. Some of the animals had been placed inside canisters with air holes.
YouTube link.
Authorities have said the man was part of a trafficking network. They are searching for accomplices. "It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before," Galster said. "The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases." Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam. Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual. "We haven't seen this mixture [of animals] before," Galster said. "It's amazing. We were really surprised."
Empty gumball machine thief ignores cigarettes and alcohol
Martins Ferry police are sifting through evidence from surveillance video at the Convenient Mart store on South Zane Highway that was broken into at around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. But what the burglar took is raising even more questions. The case is very unusual because the thief took a gumball machine that was completely empty - no gumballs, no cash, just the machine.
"We can't figure out a motive as of yet. The gumball machine was empty of gumballs and money," said Martins Ferry Police Detective Bob Walton. The burglar quickly runs to the back part of the store, directly to the gumball machine, then leaves the same way he came in. He targeted nothing else.
"When he left, he was carrying a 4-foot-tall gumball machine, so he obviously wouldn't be running straight down Main Street or Zane Highway," Walton said. "Our best guess is that he went back down the alley to where he was, to a house in the area, or to a waiting vehicle and he was gone."
But, the motive is still a mystery. "The store is a state liquor store. There was numerous bottles of liquor and cartons of cigarettes right there right beside the gumball machine and none of that stuff was taken," Walton said. He said if anyone spotted anything suspicious in the area early on Thursday or finds out that someone recently came to be in possession of a gumball machine, they are asked to call police.
Video.
"We can't figure out a motive as of yet. The gumball machine was empty of gumballs and money," said Martins Ferry Police Detective Bob Walton. The burglar quickly runs to the back part of the store, directly to the gumball machine, then leaves the same way he came in. He targeted nothing else.
"When he left, he was carrying a 4-foot-tall gumball machine, so he obviously wouldn't be running straight down Main Street or Zane Highway," Walton said. "Our best guess is that he went back down the alley to where he was, to a house in the area, or to a waiting vehicle and he was gone."
But, the motive is still a mystery. "The store is a state liquor store. There was numerous bottles of liquor and cartons of cigarettes right there right beside the gumball machine and none of that stuff was taken," Walton said. He said if anyone spotted anything suspicious in the area early on Thursday or finds out that someone recently came to be in possession of a gumball machine, they are asked to call police.
Video.
Man reports mysteriously switched mixer tap to police
A Flint man told police on Monday that someone mysteriously switched the faucet of his kitchen sink, according to a larceny report.
The man told police he went into his kitchen at 9 p.m. on Sunday and noticed a different faucet installed at the home on Colonial Drive.
The man didn't know when or how the faucet was changed, but that it was a different one according to the report.
The man told police he has insurance.
The man told police he went into his kitchen at 9 p.m. on Sunday and noticed a different faucet installed at the home on Colonial Drive.
The man didn't know when or how the faucet was changed, but that it was a different one according to the report.
The man told police he has insurance.
Zack the show jumping zebra
After Zack the zebra kept jumping out of his field, Sammi Jo Stohler of Willis, Texas, figured he might have a knack for having fun over fences. “I had to build an 8ft. fence around the property because he kept jumping out,” she said. “He can clear 5ft. without a problem; he just walks up to a fence and ends up on the other side of it. I said, ‘I bet he can do it with a rider,’ and yep, it was no problem.”
Zack took quickly to the fences. “He’s large pony size, but he jumps very easily. The first time I pointed him at it, I just put it really low and showed him this is what we’re doing,” said Stohler. “And he said, ‘Oh yeah, I got that.’ He likes jumping, and going higher was no problem.”
YouTube link.
Stohler grew up riding horses on a ranch in eastern Oregon. She embarked on a career of training horses and gradually expanded to other, more exotic, species. With Zack’s ability, Stohler saw the opportunity to prove that zebras can do many different things. “Everyone always asks ‘Can they jump?’ or ‘Can you do this with them?’ and I always like to see what I can accomplish,” she said.
Zack took quickly to the fences. “He’s large pony size, but he jumps very easily. The first time I pointed him at it, I just put it really low and showed him this is what we’re doing,” said Stohler. “And he said, ‘Oh yeah, I got that.’ He likes jumping, and going higher was no problem.”
YouTube link.
Stohler grew up riding horses on a ranch in eastern Oregon. She embarked on a career of training horses and gradually expanded to other, more exotic, species. With Zack’s ability, Stohler saw the opportunity to prove that zebras can do many different things. “Everyone always asks ‘Can they jump?’ or ‘Can you do this with them?’ and I always like to see what I can accomplish,” she said.
Police find man living with deceased fiancé praying for divine intervention
Wichita police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in her home an estimated week after she died. Officers were checking the welfare of the 57-year-old woman in the 1000 block of S. St. Clair after a relative reported they had not spoken to her in a couple weeks.
When they arrived, they were stopped by the woman’s 54-year-old fiancé, who did not want them to enter. “When the officers got there, there was a distinct odour that they smelled, which caused them to want to investigate further,” said Lt. Doug Nolte with the Wichita Police Department.
“We didn't fight him. He was just resistant to let us get past him to get in, so the officers - in their due diligence - detained him to the point where they could get inside and check the welfare.” Police found the woman dead in her bed. They believe she had been there for about a week. Officers do not suspect foul play and say her fiancé had been praying for her.
“He did lead investigators to believe that he was expecting some divine intervention into the reviving of his fiancé,” said Lt. Nolte. An autopsy and toxicology tests will be done on the woman to determine her cause of death. The man was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.
When they arrived, they were stopped by the woman’s 54-year-old fiancé, who did not want them to enter. “When the officers got there, there was a distinct odour that they smelled, which caused them to want to investigate further,” said Lt. Doug Nolte with the Wichita Police Department.
“We didn't fight him. He was just resistant to let us get past him to get in, so the officers - in their due diligence - detained him to the point where they could get inside and check the welfare.” Police found the woman dead in her bed. They believe she had been there for about a week. Officers do not suspect foul play and say her fiancé had been praying for her.
“He did lead investigators to believe that he was expecting some divine intervention into the reviving of his fiancé,” said Lt. Nolte. An autopsy and toxicology tests will be done on the woman to determine her cause of death. The man was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.
Boy survives tornado by hiding in clothes dryer
An 11-year-old Iowa boy survived a tornado by climbing into his family's clothes dryer.
Austin Miller was at his Lenox home watching television when he received a call from his mother, telling him to take shelter in the laundry room . There were tornadoes approaching the town, and the Millers' house does not have a basement.
With debris flying around the house, Austin went to the laundry and climbed into the dryer. For several minutes he heard the tornado wreak havoc on his house.
YouTube link.
"If he wouldn't have been in that laundry room, it would have come right down on him," the boy's mother, Jessica Miller, said after the tornado wrecked their home. "I'm proud of him for doing that," she said.
Full story here.
Austin Miller was at his Lenox home watching television when he received a call from his mother, telling him to take shelter in the laundry room . There were tornadoes approaching the town, and the Millers' house does not have a basement.
With debris flying around the house, Austin went to the laundry and climbed into the dryer. For several minutes he heard the tornado wreak havoc on his house.
YouTube link.
"If he wouldn't have been in that laundry room, it would have come right down on him," the boy's mother, Jessica Miller, said after the tornado wrecked their home. "I'm proud of him for doing that," she said.
Full story here.
Brazilian woman wins right to watch porn and masturbate at work
Ana Catarian Bezerra is a 36-year-old Brazilian woman who suffers from a chemical imbalance that triggers severe anxiety and hypersexuality.
Ana, an accountant by day, began to have problems at work because the only way she can relieve said anxiety is by masturbating. A lot.
Ana had to take her employer to court in order to be allowed to masturbate during work hours. Now after winning a court battle and seeking professional medical help, she is allowed to masturbate and watch porn using her work's computer.
Carlos Howert, Ana's doctor, now prescribes her with a cocktail of tranquillizers, leaving her only having to masturbate around eighteen-times a day.
Ana, an accountant by day, began to have problems at work because the only way she can relieve said anxiety is by masturbating. A lot.
Ana had to take her employer to court in order to be allowed to masturbate during work hours. Now after winning a court battle and seeking professional medical help, she is allowed to masturbate and watch porn using her work's computer.
Carlos Howert, Ana's doctor, now prescribes her with a cocktail of tranquillizers, leaving her only having to masturbate around eighteen-times a day.
CCTV camera films vandals as they chop it down
Vandals who chopped down a CCTV camera pole were filmed carrying out the attack by the camera itself.
The spy camera was put up after a long campaign by neighbours on the Valley Estate in Swinton, Manchester. It was so successful in cutting crime that, just four weeks later, two vandals decided to cut it down with an angle-grinder.
The attack was captured by the camera on the top of the pole – and police are now hunting the culprits.
YouTube link.
The camera was damaged during a sunny afternoon but so far no one has come forward with information.
The spy camera was put up after a long campaign by neighbours on the Valley Estate in Swinton, Manchester. It was so successful in cutting crime that, just four weeks later, two vandals decided to cut it down with an angle-grinder.
The attack was captured by the camera on the top of the pole – and police are now hunting the culprits.
YouTube link.
The camera was damaged during a sunny afternoon but so far no one has come forward with information.
Man turns council house into Sistine Chapel tribute
Robert Burns, a retired decorator, spent years painting other people’s walls the same boring beige so he decided to spend eight years turning his home into a tribute to the Sistine Chapel. Robert Burns has covered every inside wall with scale replicas of 15th-century frescoes and paintings by Italian masters.
But from the outside, his £86-a-week council house in Brighton looks like any other 1960s terraced home. The 63-year-old said: ‘I spent 15 years of my working life applying exactly the same shade of magnolia to people’s living rooms.
‘You could teach a primate to be a half-decent decorator. I needed a creative outlet. One day I saw some photos of the Vatican and thought, “I could do that”. I never looked back.’
YouTube link.
The self-taught artist uses DIY shop emulsion to create his murals, which include a copy of Rafael’s Sistine Madonna, frescoes by artists such as Correggio and a portrait of Jesus inspired by a picture of Russell Brand. Mr Burns said: ‘This may be a council house but I live in style, like the Pope or old Italian nobility. If it’s good enough for the Medicis, it’s good enough for me.’
But from the outside, his £86-a-week council house in Brighton looks like any other 1960s terraced home. The 63-year-old said: ‘I spent 15 years of my working life applying exactly the same shade of magnolia to people’s living rooms.
‘You could teach a primate to be a half-decent decorator. I needed a creative outlet. One day I saw some photos of the Vatican and thought, “I could do that”. I never looked back.’
YouTube link.
The self-taught artist uses DIY shop emulsion to create his murals, which include a copy of Rafael’s Sistine Madonna, frescoes by artists such as Correggio and a portrait of Jesus inspired by a picture of Russell Brand. Mr Burns said: ‘This may be a council house but I live in style, like the Pope or old Italian nobility. If it’s good enough for the Medicis, it’s good enough for me.’
So farewell Carlo Napolitano, keeper of the Queen’s pigeons
Carlo Napolitano, keeper of the Royal lofts, has passed away aged 69.
Mr Napolitano is believed to have suffered a heart attack, after returning to his home in Wolferton, on the Royal Estate, from a carriage ride on Monday.
Mr Napolitano, who became the Queen’s loft manager in 1992, leaves a wife Judy and a brother and sister. The Queen was a frequent visitor to the lofts, a mile or two from Sandringham House.
“The Queen is very keen,” Mr Napolitano once confided. “Her Majesty is interested in breeding and racing, and often drops round here, sometimes at very short notice.”
Mr Napolitano is believed to have suffered a heart attack, after returning to his home in Wolferton, on the Royal Estate, from a carriage ride on Monday.
Mr Napolitano, who became the Queen’s loft manager in 1992, leaves a wife Judy and a brother and sister. The Queen was a frequent visitor to the lofts, a mile or two from Sandringham House.
“The Queen is very keen,” Mr Napolitano once confided. “Her Majesty is interested in breeding and racing, and often drops round here, sometimes at very short notice.”
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