weird crimes

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

Stories 81 - 100 | << Prev   Next >>

'AK-47' That Prompted Panic Was Something Very Different

Police in New South Wales, Australia, say 'weapon' they found in car was actually just a bong

(Newser) - There was a bit of panic in Australia this week, after Sydney locals reported the sighting of a man carrying a frightening-looking assault rifle—but all was not what it seemed. The BBC reports that 911 calls started pouring in late Wednesday afternoon from the northwest side of the city,...

33 Swimmers Accused of Harassing Hawaii Dolphins

They've been referred to law enforcement

(Newser) - Hawaii authorities on Tuesday say they have referred 33 people to US law enforcement after the group allegedly harassed a pod of wild dolphins in waters off the Big Island, the AP reports. It's against federal law to swim within 50 yards of spinner dolphins in Hawaii’s nearshore...

FTC Warns of 'Terrifying' Phone Scam Driven by AI

Agency says voice cloning can make caller sound like a loved one begging for money

(Newser) - Many of us have heard of the old hoax in which victims receive phone calls from "police" or a "doctor" (actually scammers) saying that a loved one is in trouble and needs money sent stat. Now, in what NPR says "sounds like a plot from a science...

He Once Wooed on the Soaps. Now, a 'Bizarre' Crime

Forbes March, who played Scott Chandler on 'All My Children,' is accused of stealing cooking oil

(Newser) - It's still early, but Soaps.com is already calling this "the most bizarre crime you're likely to read about this week." It involves Forbes March, a 49-year-old former soap opera veteran who's starred in such programs as All My Children, As the World Turns, and...

Victim Recognized His Robber Instantly

Masked man told his son he was desperate

(Newser) - A man trying to rob a teenager at an ATM in Scotland didn't recognize his victim right away as he pressed a knife against his neck, but the 17-year-old wasn't fooled by the mask. "Are you serious?" he asked his father. "Do you know who this...

Utah Bank Robber Requested Unusual Amount of Cash

Donald Santacroce allegedly demanded a single dollar

(Newser) - A Utah man who desired to be sent to federal prison carried out a polite bank robbery in pursuit of that goal, police say. Per a police booking affidavit, Donald Santacroce, 65, was arrested Monday morning after allegedly handing a teller at a Wells Fargo in downtown Salt Lake City...

Zoo Volunteer Allegedly Stole Baby Gator—20 Years Ago

Tewa is back home after theft was uncovered in Central Texas, authorities say

(Newser) - An alligator, stolen as an egg or hatchling from a Texas zoo two decades ago, is back in the first home she knew. The 8-foot alligator named Tewa was returned to Animal World & Snake Farm Zoo in New Braunfels on Friday, months after she was located on rural property...

NYPD Makes an Easy Arrest After Police Cars Vandalized

Alleged New York City vandal was wearing the same clothes when he came to report stolen car

(Newser) - On Friday, somebody slashed the tires of seven police cars outside a stationhouse in Queens, New York. Police released surveillance images and asked for the public's help in identifying the man "clad in a brown hat, multi-colored jacket, and black pants," per the Daily News . On Sunday,...

Cops: Man Took Truck for Unusually Long Test Drive

He was arrested inside an Atlantic City casino, 40 miles away from the dealership

(Newser) - A New Jersey man who apparently gambled on not getting caught took a new pickup truck for a test drive and was arrested at a casino almost 40 miles away. Police in Stafford Township say Jason DeAngelo, 47, took a 2023 white GMC Sierra from a dealership around 11am Saturday...

He Pulled Over Countless Drivers. He Wasn&#39;t a Cop
He Pulled Over Countless
Drivers. One Big Problem
longform
Feb 18, 2023 2:40 PM CST

He Pulled Over Countless Drivers. One Big Problem

Narratively explores the tale of 'notorious police impersonator' Jeremy Dewitte

(Newser) - The thing of it is, the business idea itself wasn't a bad one. In the early 2010s, Jeremy Dewitte launched a company called Metro State to provide escorts for funerals in Florida. But as Dylan Taylor-Lehman writes at Narratively , things got seriously out of hand. As in, Dewitte would...

These Robbers Are Both Under 40
These Robbers
Are Both Under 40
Feb 17, 2023 2:40 PM CST

These Robbers Are Both Under 40

Police say London brothers wore 'extremely lifelike' old men masks during crime

(Newser) - Two brothers who robbed a jewelry store in England were arrested after police spotted the faces of the suspects—in the trunk of their car. George Murphy-Bristow, 38, and Benjamin Murphy, 37, wore masks that made them look like old men when they robbed the store in Epping, Essex, in...

After Theft of 200K Cadbury Creme Eggs, So Many Puns

The 'eggs-travagent theft' was foiled

(Newser) - It's a crime that can't be discussed without resorting to puns. Police near Birmingham, England, foiled what they say was an "eggs-travagent theft" on Saturday: the theft of some 200,000 Cadbury Creme Eggs. "West Mercia Police has helped save Easter" they announced Monday on Twitter...

'Finch-Smuggling Kingpin' Arrested Due to Hair Curlers

And he's been sentenced to a year and a day in prison

(Newser) - A man who repeatedly admitted scheming to smuggle finches from Guyana into New York for birdsong competitions was sentenced Thursday to a year and a day in prison. It was Insaf Ali's second time being sentenced in a Brooklyn federal court for a crime related to bird trafficking, and...

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Has Its Catalytic Converter Stolen

Vehicle was issued a temporary fix

(Newser) - The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile may be massive and impossible to miss, but one thing it's not is immune to thieves. The 27-foot-long vehicle's catalytic converter was stolen while the hot dog on wheels was parked outside a Las Vegas motel, Fox 5 Vegas reports. The Wienermobile was in...

Funeral Home Van Stolen, With a Body Inside

Police in Illinois recover both, separately, but are still searching for suspect

(Newser) - A thief who stole a van from a funeral home in Illinois last week probably should have expected the next development: A man's body was in the cargo area. Police in Rockford say the van belonged to Collins & Stone Funeral Home, which was in the process of handling...

He Asks Cousin for a Favor, She Steals His Lottery Payout

Amador Argueta of Houston collected more than $500K, told cousin it was worth only $20K

(Newser) - It's a strange tale of family thievery and the lottery. A 34-year-old Houston woman will go to prison after she admitted trying to dupe her cousin and steal his lottery jackpot, reports Fox News . Back in 2020, an unnamed man in New York's Nassau County won a $1...

To Steal a 10-Ton Statue, You Need a Crane and Luck

Three would-be thieves in Egypt had only one of the two

(Newser) - It's not easy to steal a 10-ton object, as three would-be thieves in Egypt have discovered the hard way. Authorities there say they arrested the trio, who were trying to make off with a 10-foot statue of Pharaoh Ramses II, reports Al Jazeera . Police say the thieves were caught...

'Real-Life Body-Snatching Case' Reaches Its Conclusion

Megan Hess sentenced to 20 years after pleading guilty to mail fraud

(Newser) - Prosecutors said what victims perceived as Megan Hess' lack of remorse would be considered at her January sentencing, and it apparently was. The former Colorado funeral home operator faced up to 20 years after pleading guilty in July to a count of mail fraud tied to a scheme in which...

Cops: Tech Worker Inspired to Steal by Office Space
Theft Allegedly Inspired by
Cult Movie Does Not End Well
in case you missed it
Jan 1, 2023 11:40 AM CST

Theft Allegedly Inspired by Cult Movie Does Not End Well

Seattle police say tech worker tried to imitate the embezzlement scheme of 'Office Space'

(Newser) - The inept criminals in the movie Office Space tried to embezzle from their company after being inspired by a scheme in Superman III. Now, in a case of life imitating art that was imitating art, a tech worker in Seattle is accused of trying to use the same scheme in...

Bringing Raccoon Into Bar Was Costly Move for Woman
Bringing Raccoon Into Bar
Costs Woman, Big-Time
in case you missed it
Jan 1, 2023 7:01 AM CST

Bringing Raccoon Into Bar Costs Woman, Big-Time

Erin Christensen of North Dakota gets a year of probation, must pay more than $1K

(Newser) - Bringing a wild raccoon into a bar will cost one North Dakota woman, quite literally. Erin Christensen, 38, pleaded guilty last week to charges of false information to law enforcement, evidence tampering, and unlawful possession of a furbearer, all misdemeanors. She was sentenced to a suspended six-month jail term and...

Stories 81 - 100 | << Prev   Next >>