Curses, foiled again
Police charged Johnny Lee Walker, 21, with shooting another man in Orange Park, Fla., after he left his cellphone at the scene of the crime. Investigators said the phone contained text messages about a $300 marijuana deal believed to be the motive for the shooting.
“Sometimes it helps when the bad guys aren’t very smart,” Police Chief James Bolvin said. (Jacksonville’s The Florida Times-Union) Police arrested Judy Weible, 61, after she called a sheriff’s deputy in Hinds County, Miss., and tried to sell him prescription painkillers. The deputy, thinking the call was a prank, hung up. The woman called back several times, and when the deputy ignored her calls, she started texting, offering to sell 30 pills for “$60 and some green.” Finally, the deputy alerted investigators, who set up a meeting. Explaining that Weible apparently reached the deputy by misdialing a number, sheriff’s official Jeff Scott said, “I cannot recall a situation where someone has called a narcotics officer and offered to sell them narcotics.” (Jackson’s The Clarion-Ledger)
Revenge of the dead
When bow hunter Edward Garcia came across a bear lying still on the ground north of Gardiner, Mont., he poked it with a knife to see if it was dead. It was, but the carcass was resting on some live electrical wires, which, when Garcia’s knife touched them, caused a shock that badly burned Garcia’s torso, head and hands. The Park County Sheriff’s Office reported that Garcia walked two miles to find help and was flown to a burn center in Salt Lake City. (Associated Press)
Antisocial media
Police arrested Benito Apolinar, 36, after they said he punched his wife in the face. The attack occurred during an argument that began when he posted a comment on his Facebook page about the anniversary of his mother’s death, but Dolores Apolinar didn’t click on the “like” button beneath the update. “That’s amazing,” he reportedly told her. “Everyone ‘likes’ my status but you. You’re my wife. You should be the first one to ‘like’ my status.” (Carlsbad’s Current-Argus)
Legislative follies
The city council in Topeka, Kan., voted 7-3 to repeal an ordinance banning domestic battery. Assistant city attorney Catherine Walter insisted the repeal wouldn’t decriminalize domestic violence, which remains a state crime. The council acted to shift responsibility for prosecuting offenders to Shawnee County. (The Topeka Capital-Journal) Louisiana lawmakers voted to make it illegal to buy or sell secondhand goods for cash. State Rep. Rickey Hardy, a co-author of the measure, explained it’s aimed at criminals who steal anything from copper to televisions and sell them for a quick buck. Having a paper trail will make it easier for law enforcement to track stolen goods. (Lafayette’s KLFY-TV)
Compiled from the nation’s press by Roland Sweet. Authentication on demand.
