Free Republic

A would-be burglar in Rome was caught after stopping to read a book on Greek mythology in the middle of a theft, Italian media reports. The 38-year-old reportedly gained access to a flat in the Italian capital's Prati district via the balcony but became distracted after picking up a book about Homer's Iliad on a bedside table. The 71-year-old homeowner is said to have awoken and confronted the alleged thief, who was engrossed in the book. News of the failed burglary attracted the attention of the book's author, who told local media he wanted to send the man a copy...

As you’ve probably caught wind of, Joe Biden’s border disaster is really putting America through the wringer. It’s not just the border towns feeling the heat anymore. With Biden’s border invasion cranking up, the ripple effects are hitting every corner of the United States, touching more than just the working and middle classes. Now, even the upper crust of American society is starting to squirm as some fresh “gang” creativity shows up at their doorstep. Trump’s been saying (and getting slammed for it) that we’re not exactly getting the cream of the crop. It’s like some places are just clearing...

The serial burglar accused of breaking into Robert De Niro’s Manhattan townhouse allegedly pulled off another brazen crime spree after posting bail and being sprung from jail, The Post has learned. Shanice Aviles, who was allegedly caught red-handed trying to steal the Oscar-winning actor’s Christmas presents in December, was released from Rikers Island on May 3, according to Department of Correction records. Since then, she’s been charged in at least two more thefts, including one in which she allegedly snuck into a Columbia University building and slugged a security guard. The first case took place just a month after Aviles...

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTVY) - A Florida man was prompted to call police when he awoke to an unusual sight of a man sleeping in his front yard. According to Jackson County Police, on Saturday, July 15, around 5:30 A.M., deputies received a call from a victim stating that he found a man sleeping in a vehicle in his (the victim’s) yard. When the victim attempted to make contact with the suspect, the suspect started frantically reaching around inside his vehicle. The victim had armed himself with a weapon for his protection. When deputies arrived, they secured the suspect and...

Here’s an interesting story that might make you think – especially if you’re an advocate for Second Amendment rights and gun ownership. This case highlights an incident in which a man was forced to use a firearm to defend himself and his property. But the way the incident played out is instructive in that it gives us a chance to consider how we might react in a similar situation.A La Puebla resident earlier this week apprehended a suspected burglar who was attempting to steal his tools, holding him at gunpoint after a brief struggle until law enforcement arrived. The alleged...

Shocking video captures the moment a burglar used a hammer to smash the display window of a Manhattan auction house – before he and an accomplice ripped off more than $200,000 worth of Hermès bags from inside, authorities said. The clip, released early Wednesday, shows a white Acura sedan pulling up in front of Heritage Auctions on Park Avenue near East 57th Street in Midtown around 3:50 a.m. March 7. Three men get out – two of whom are toting hammers.

A lone female burglar has been arrested after allegedly breaking into the Upper East Side townhouse of actor Robert De Niro early Monday morning and bagging up all the gifts spread around the Christmas tree while the Hollywood actor was home, according to police. ABC7 New York reports Shanice Aviles, 30, was arrested on burglary charges after she was spotted entering De Niro’s East 65th Street home at 2:45 a.m. Aviles was being tailed by police because she was wanted in connection with six other burglaries. Police sources described her as a recidivist who had just been arrested December 8....

A Ventura County homeowner beat up a suspected burglar when he was caught inside the victim's home. The homeowner came home April 1 around 6 pm to find a sports utility van parked out front of his residence with a suspect in the driver's seat. The homeowner found a second burglar, Alexis Provoste, 43, inside his home stealing. The homeowner began to beat Provoste before he ran out of the home to the van. Provoste was held by the homeowner until police arrived at the scene and arrested him.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – A Florida man was caught in the middle of an escape attempt when a detective found him hanging from the ceiling of an interview room following a burglary arrest, authorities said. Terence Meehan, 29, of Punta Gorda was arrested Monday after a homeowner reported he was pacing on their lanai a day after stealing cash from a child’s bedroom, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO). Deputies responded to the home on Abrade Avenue in Port Charlotte where a perimeter was set up to look for Meehan who took off running after authorities arrived. Neighbors...

President Biden said Wednesday that the conviction of three men for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery “reflect our justice system doing its job,” but added “that alone is not enough.” “Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin,” the president added in a statement released by the White House. “My administration will continue to do the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all...

The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of Travis McMichael and his father, Gregory, and their neighbor, William "Roddie" Bryan. The three men, who are white, each face charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, false imprisonment and criminal attempt to commit a felony in the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, 25, who was Black, on Feb. 23, 2020, in Georgia. They face up to life in prison if convicted of the more serious charges. The nearly all-white jury, which has one Black member, began deliberating the men's fate on Tuesday.

An intruder was mauled to death by a pair of dogs after breaking into a Georgia home last week, according to local authorities. The homeowner, who was not named, discovered the body of 21-year-old Alex Binyam Abraha on his front porch around 10:30 am on September 24. Authorities said Abraha successfully entered the two-bedroom house in a rural area of Newnan the night before, and was immediately greeted by two pit bulls inside the home. The sheriff’s department initially called in homicide investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation thinking that Abraha's death was a murder. However, the medical examiner...

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A burglary in Pierce County turned into a kidnapping situation on Wednesday when a victim walked into a crime in progress. The incident started just after 10 a.m. in the 8700 block of 18th Avenue East in Midland. According to deputies, a homeowner received a Ring doorbell camera notification that someone was at his home, so he asked a friend to stop by and check in. Aiden Bullock drove over and said he saw someone coming out from a side door. “This dude just pops his head out, and I look at him, and I’m like,...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recorded her experience getting the COVID-19 vaccine and shared it with her 8.2 million Instagram followers. The freshman representative of parts of The Bronx and Queens on Friday night shared video of herself in the lead up to the shot — including filling out a questionnaire — the injection itself, as well as how she felt afterwards. “I would would never, ever ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself,” she wrote in the post. The Democratic socialist also answered questions from followers, saying she was experiencing some minor symptoms after the inoculation. “I...

Almost a month after Harley Dilly disappeared on his way to school, police believe the Port Clinton, Ohio, boy’s body has been found in a chimney. “This is not the outcome anyone wanted, but … we have some closure for the family,” Port Clinton Police Chief Robert Hickman said Tuesday. Harley, 14, was last seen on Dec. 20 in Port Clinton as he left for school between 6 and 7 a.m., police said. At least 75 law enforcement agencies have scoured more than 150 acres with helicopters, trained dogs and search-and-rescue teams, Port Clinton police said. During another sweep of...

REDSTONE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police said a man was sent to an area hospital after being shot while trying to burglarize a home in Fayette County Friday night. State police said the suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Adam Earl Morgan. Police said he is also responsible for two other burglaries, along National Pike, in Redstone Township, that happened on Friday night. "He climbed up a table and some chairs," said neighbor Joe Shashura. The back window to Joe and Sue Shashura's home had been broken and several items stolen, minutes before police said Morgan walked into their...

James Michael Meyer was charged with murder in the shooting at his home. Authorities say a 72-year-old Dallas man fatally shot a suspected burglar behind his home and then went back to bed before finally calling police nearly two hours later. The Dallas Morning News reports that James Michael Meyer has been charged with murder in the Thursday killing and was jailed on $150,000 bail as of Friday.

A 65-year-old woman in Florida is crediting her high school softball skills with helping her fend off a burglar.

Authorities say a man is accused of breaking into a Phoenix apartment and helping himself to tortillas and soup. Court documents show that 31-year-old Jerry Christopher Drane was arrested March 1 on suspicion of criminal trespassing. According to charging documents, a female occupant smelled something burning. She found Drane in the kitchen cooking tortillas on top of a stove burner. She yelled for her roommate and both women demanded Drane to leave. They told police Drane then went onto the balcony and began eating a can of soup. Responding officers say he showed signs of being intoxicated and was subsequently...

“I wasn’t scared. I was so damn mad,” the veteran of the war in the Pacific told reporters. The 95-year-old was able to wrestle alleged burglar, Gary Wells, to the ground before the homeowner’s daughter ran downstairs to help fight the thief off. Fred’s motivated 51-year-old daughter Mary then took off after Wells, chasing the burglar for six blocks before catching and holding him for police. “I was mad because of what he did to my dad,” Mary said. “We jumped over two fences and ran through 12 yards,” the Marine’s daughter added.