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A man who may have been trying to steal copper wiring was severely burned on top of a utility pole this morning, Dallas Fire-Rescue said. His rescue was hindered because his flesh had melded with the metal on the pole. A Dallas Fire-Rescue dispatcher said a passerby called about 5:30 a.m. to report that a man was on top of a utility pole and that wires were sparking above in the 800 block of Regal Row near the Irving border. Police said there had also been reports of power outages in the area. When crews arrived, they found a person,...

Police in South Africa's capital, Pretoria, claim to have to caught the "dumbest criminal" this year. The man walked into a station to report that he had been held up at gunpoint by a gang who had stolen his mobile phone. But when the detective phoned the number of the phone reportedly stolen, it rang in the complainant's pocket. "The shock left him speechless for a few minutes," said police spokesman Eugene Opperman, adding that the man, 25, was then arrested for perjury. The police issued a statement entitled "Dumbest criminal?" with details of the weekend incident, South Africa's Star...

Jonesboro, Ark. (AP) -- A woman who reached into the open window of a car and stole a 3-year-old's teddy bear faces a felony charge for breaking and entering, Jonesboro police said Tuesday. Tonya Marie Taylor, 24, of Bono has a court appearance set for May 31 for allegedly taking the bear on Thursday, Jonesboro Police Detective Vic Brooks said. Brooks said Taylor didn't offer a reason for taking the bear. "That's a real good question," he said. Police were called to the parking lot of a video store, where the child's mother reported the theft. The woman said she...

FORT WORTH -- Two people were in custody early Thursday after choosing the wrong robbery target police said. The robbers pulled a gun on a police officer returning home after her shift and tried to steal her car, said Lt. Dean Sullivan, a Fort Worth police spokesman. The officer fired at the men and they fled, then crashed another vehicle, which they apparently had stolen earlier after robbing a service station, Sullivan said. The confrontation with the officer was reported at 3:17 a.m. near Pershing Avenue and Prevost Street. Fox 4 reported that the officer was filling up her car...

Nesquick, utensils found in woman's pants By SHAWN MCGRATH Cheyanne E. Dwiggins’ sweet tooth got the better of her on Wednesday and her method of shoplifting became creative, according to police. Dwiggins, 18, was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly trying to swipe several pieces of candy, a few kitchen utensils and a well-hidden 15-ounce box of strawberry Nestle’s Nesquik from Bauer’s Market, 815 Main St. Shortly before 9:30 a.m., store owner Scott Law watched Dwiggins for about 30 minutes and knew she had pocketed several items, according to court papers. Dwiggins walked up to the cash register to pay for...

(AP) SHEBOYGAN, Wis. A 21-year-old woman's attempt to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at a gas station was foiled when the clerk realized it was blank on one side. Leah R. Jarolimek, of Cedar Grove, was charged with a felony count of forgery following her failed attempt to buy chips and cigarettes, according to a complaint filed Friday in Sheboygan County Circuit Court. Jarolimek handed her driver's license to the clerk to prove she was old enough to buy cigarettes and the bill early Wednesday morning, according to the complaint. The cashier told police the bill was placed face up...

MARCH 24--Meet Natalie Peterson. The 23-year-old Utah woman was arrested yesterday afternoon when she showed up naked to take a shower in a stranger's home. According to cops, prior to Peterson wandering into the home in Roy, she had been in an argument at a relative's house. There, she stripped off her clothes and jumped into her '98 Ford Escort and drove off. A half mile away, Peterson walked into a house occupied by three young siblings, who she ordered to leave "her home." Peterson told the trio she was going to take a shower and headed for the basement....

Federal authorities investigating a man who smuggled money into the country have seized 250 counterfeit bank notes in billion-dollar denominations, they announced Tuesday. The 250 bogus Federal Reserve notes had 1934 issue dates and were stained to make them look old, but no such currency exists, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice. Federal authorities have not charged the man, Tekle Zigetta, in connection with the counterfeit notes, but warned that the sale or transfer of fake securities has increased in recent years. Scam artists typically sell phony government bank notes at a discounted value or use them...

OREM — Excuse me, sir. Is this your weed?

Two wounded in attempted holdup at Tacoma auto parts store THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: September 29th, 2005 11:10 AM DEAN J. KOEPFLER/The News Tribune Tacoma police officers and investigators comb through evidence in front of the Schuck's Auto Supply store at 72nd and Portland Ave. in Tacoma Thursday morning at the scene of a double shooting. Two people were wounded Thursday morning in an attempted robbery at an auto parts store at 72nd and Portland Avenue in Tacoma. Police gave this account:A man with a gas can came into the Schucks Auto Supply store and began to fuel a motorcycle...

An executive tried to liven up a dull day at the office by stripping naked to interview a 25-year-old woman, a court heard yesterday. Saeed Akbar, 35, said at first that it was part of his "tough interviewing technique" but later admitted that he was bored and wanted a "cheap thrill". He asked the woman, who was applying for a translator's job, if she minded if they took their clothes off. When she refused, he left the room for a few minutes and returned naked, carrying only a clipboard. He got dressed again when she objected to his behaviour and...

Albuquerque police say the suspect in an attempted robbery Friday morning turned up at the University of New Mexico Hospital without his thumb. Stephen Tillet, 19, is suspected in the attempted robbery. He is at the UNM Hospital undergoing treatment for his thumb injury. When he is released, according to APD spokesperson Trish Ahrensfield, he will be charged with armed robbery, tampering with evidence and aggravated battery. Police say the 61-year-old was leaving Discount Tools at Zuni and Valencia. As he approached his truck, police say the suspect approached the man with a handgun. But, according to APD, the suspect...

Smelly Money Lands Indiana Man in Jail Thu Apr 7, 7:48 AM ET Strange News - AP GREENSBURG, Ind. - A man who went to the sheriff's department to bond out his brother-in-law also ended up in jail when police realized the money he handed them reeked of marijuana. Timothy Richards, 45, of Columbus, went to the Decatur County Sheriff's Department and when he handed dispatcher Julie Meyers $400, she counted it and then noticed something unusual. "When I walked back toward the jail I noticed the money was damp and smelled funny," Meyers said. A jailer who sniffed the...

DECEMBER 10-Meet Ernesto Hernandez-Rosales. The 39-year-old Oklahoma inmate has been charged with the pork chop assault of a fellow resident of the Lexington Correctional Center. According to investigators, Hernandez-Rosales (pictured at right) tried last month to settle a beef by stabbing Jermaine Portillo, 21, in the eye with a "sharpened pork bone." Hernandez-Rosales, who is already serving an eight-year sentence for marijuana distribution, was named this week in a felony information charging him with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Portillo, who was not seriously injured in the pork-bone attack, is doing a 20-year stretch for armed robbery. A...

Tourist Calls Police To Report That His Pricey Marijuana Was Stolen KEY WEST, Fla. -- A New York tourist called police to report that several items were stolen from his hotel room, including some high quality Bahamian marijuana. Jim Devlin, 33, of East Meadow, N.Y., filed the report early Monday morning, according to Key West police. He was not charged because no marijuana was found, police spokeswoman Cynthia Edwards said Tuesday. Devlin, who told police he's an investment banker, also claimed $50 and a watch were also stolen. He declined to tell police the amount or worth of the allegedly...

Burglar wedged in chimney rescued By Burglar wedged in chimney rescued Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle The soot-covered suspect is taken into custody; Slide show of the dope here. . The suspect was taken into custody by police, but not before being subjected to dozens of puns including "If you can't take the grime, don't do the crime," and gleefully rendered choruses of "Chim chiminey chim chiminey chim chim cheree." Full story here

Bank robbery suspect arrested By ROGER ADKINS PARKERSBURG - A Wood County man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a robbery at Community Bank on Emerson Avenue in which a bomb threat was used to force bank tellers to hand over money. Eugene D. Golden, 36, of 2171 Meadowview Drive, Briarwood, was arrested after Parkersburg police located the vehicle they suspect was used in the 5:50 p.m. bank robbery, said Chief Robert Newell. He was arraigned around 9:30 p.m. by Wood County Magistrate Joyce S. Purkey. Purkey set Golden's bond at $50,000. Golden did not attempt to make bond Wednesday...

[b]N.Y. Councilmen say even water guns should be banned[/b] January 5, 2003, 5:31 PM EST NEW YORK (AP) _ Two city councilmen said Sunday that last week's fatal police shooting of a teenager who was holding a pellet gun highlights the importance of their proposed bill to ban the sale and possession of toy guns. Current city law permits the sale of only brightly colored toy guns constructed of transparent material. At a City Hall news conference, Councilman David Weprin, a Queens Democrat, brandished his daughter's water pistol, which he had painted black, to demonstrate that even obviously fake guns...