Saturday, November 19, 2016
Wild polar bear spotted tenderly stroking dog
David De Meulles filmed this incident with a polar bear and a sled dog in Churchill, northern Manitoba, Canada, last weekend.
YouTube link.
YouTube link.
Cross-country runner sent flying by stampeding deer during his last race
Justin DeLuzio's last cross country race of his college career turned out to be one he won't forget after he was blindsided by a deer.
DeLuzio, a Senior at Gwynedd Mercy University and member of the school's Men's Cross Country team, was competing in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional Cross Country Championships at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, last Saturday.
As DeLuzio ran, four deer suddenly darted across the course. "I turn my head a little bit to the left and he comes right there," DeLuzio said. An onlooker recorded as the animal crashed into DeLuzio, sending him flying to the ground. "He knocked me down pretty good," DeLuzio said. DeLuzio was able to get up thanks to his teammate Matt French who helped him up and ran with him for the rest of the race.
"My last country race, his last country race and just a demonstration of camaraderie and it's what this team is all about," DeLuzio said. DeLuzio's coach Kevin Clark was waiting on mile 3 during the freak accident and couldn't believe it when he heard what happened. "At that point you're like that can't be true but Justin is running holding his side a little bit. He definitely doesn't look like he normally runs," Clark said.
YouTube link.
Clark said DeLuzio's other teammate Armani Rivera also ran with them for a portion of the race. DeLuzio is still dealing with a bruised hip and soreness. He knows it could've been much worse however. "I was lucky," DeLuzio said. "I was fortunate. I know if that deer was a little bit bigger I could have been in serious trauma."
As DeLuzio ran, four deer suddenly darted across the course. "I turn my head a little bit to the left and he comes right there," DeLuzio said. An onlooker recorded as the animal crashed into DeLuzio, sending him flying to the ground. "He knocked me down pretty good," DeLuzio said. DeLuzio was able to get up thanks to his teammate Matt French who helped him up and ran with him for the rest of the race.
"My last country race, his last country race and just a demonstration of camaraderie and it's what this team is all about," DeLuzio said. DeLuzio's coach Kevin Clark was waiting on mile 3 during the freak accident and couldn't believe it when he heard what happened. "At that point you're like that can't be true but Justin is running holding his side a little bit. He definitely doesn't look like he normally runs," Clark said.
YouTube link.
Clark said DeLuzio's other teammate Armani Rivera also ran with them for a portion of the race. DeLuzio is still dealing with a bruised hip and soreness. He knows it could've been much worse however. "I was lucky," DeLuzio said. "I was fortunate. I know if that deer was a little bit bigger I could have been in serious trauma."
Suspected prostitute allegedly solicited sex from undercover officer for $50 and nachos
An Ohio woman arrested in a prostitution sting told an undercover officer that her price for oral sex was $50 and a plate of nachos, police say.
As detailed in a Beaver Police Department report, an officer contacted Crystal Hotlosz, 36, after spotting a Backpage.com ad offering paid companionship. Records show that the 5’ 8”, 270-pound Hotlosz frequently advertises her escort services online, describing herself as a “BBW goddess” (big beautiful women) who is "thicker than a snickers."
In reply to the undercover officer’s initial text, Hotlosz quoted an hourly rate of $160. But after some negotiation, she altered her demands and “agreed to a price of $50 and nachos.” Hotlosz subsequently met the officer on Monday night in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in Beaver Township, which is about 13 miles south of Youngstown.
After entering the undercover vehicle, Hotlosz “asked if I had any extra money and her nachos,” the officer reported. After accepting cash, but, alas, no nachos, Hotlosz was arrested for solicitation. Police also arrested a 41-year-old Youngstown man, identified as Mark Robbins, who had driven Hotlosz to meet with the purported client. Hotlosz was booked into the Mahoning County jail, where she remains locked up on $1,750 bond.
As detailed in a Beaver Police Department report, an officer contacted Crystal Hotlosz, 36, after spotting a Backpage.com ad offering paid companionship. Records show that the 5’ 8”, 270-pound Hotlosz frequently advertises her escort services online, describing herself as a “BBW goddess” (big beautiful women) who is "thicker than a snickers."
In reply to the undercover officer’s initial text, Hotlosz quoted an hourly rate of $160. But after some negotiation, she altered her demands and “agreed to a price of $50 and nachos.” Hotlosz subsequently met the officer on Monday night in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in Beaver Township, which is about 13 miles south of Youngstown.
After entering the undercover vehicle, Hotlosz “asked if I had any extra money and her nachos,” the officer reported. After accepting cash, but, alas, no nachos, Hotlosz was arrested for solicitation. Police also arrested a 41-year-old Youngstown man, identified as Mark Robbins, who had driven Hotlosz to meet with the purported client. Hotlosz was booked into the Mahoning County jail, where she remains locked up on $1,750 bond.
Pooper scooper pretended to be Secret Service agent to impress women on dating site
A Pennsylvania man whose company scoops up dog poo admitted buying fake Secret Service identification cards and badges online from China to impress women on a dating site.
Christopher Diiorio, 53, pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to a count of fraudulently using an official seal. He acknowledged the other behaviour alleged by federal prosecutors, including flashing an ID card during a traffic stop and trying to use a Secret Service badge to get a government rate for a hotel room.
Diiorio, of Greensburg, remains free on bond and will be sentenced on March 9. He and his attorney, William Difenderfer, wouldn’t answer questions about the charges or the motivation for buying the bogus credentials. Diiorio told the judge he’s undergoing counseling for “marital” issues “and over this situation” but was of sound mind and understood the charges and consequences of his plea. The investigation began when Reserve Township police said Diiorio flashed the Secret Service ID card after an officer pulled him over for a faulty brake light on July 22. The hotel incident occurred a month earlier.
Diiorio told the officer “he was a US Secret Service agent who had just returned from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland,” Assistant US Attorney Paul Hull said in court. The credential said Diiorio was a “senior special agent in the protective services division,” Hull said. Further investigation revealed that “Diiorio’s first and last name match that of a real Secret Service agent” but nothing else, Hull said. Diiorio later confessed that he bought the IDs and badges for $100 online in March 2014 when he also “began to identify himself as a federal agent on online dating sites,” Hull told the judge.
In reality, Diiorio owned and operated Doodle Scoopers, based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park. Diiorio had also begun buying handguns and rifles, including an AR-15, like those used to equip Secret Service agents, though he’s not accused of doing anything illegal with the weapons. Because Diiorio’s crime is a felony, he’ll have to surrender the weapons, Hull said. Authorities haven’t named the company that created and sold the credentials. The fraudulent seal charge carries up to five years in prison, but under sentencing guidelines that take into account Diiorio’s lack of a recent criminal history, he’ll likely face probation.
Diiorio, of Greensburg, remains free on bond and will be sentenced on March 9. He and his attorney, William Difenderfer, wouldn’t answer questions about the charges or the motivation for buying the bogus credentials. Diiorio told the judge he’s undergoing counseling for “marital” issues “and over this situation” but was of sound mind and understood the charges and consequences of his plea. The investigation began when Reserve Township police said Diiorio flashed the Secret Service ID card after an officer pulled him over for a faulty brake light on July 22. The hotel incident occurred a month earlier.
Diiorio told the officer “he was a US Secret Service agent who had just returned from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland,” Assistant US Attorney Paul Hull said in court. The credential said Diiorio was a “senior special agent in the protective services division,” Hull said. Further investigation revealed that “Diiorio’s first and last name match that of a real Secret Service agent” but nothing else, Hull said. Diiorio later confessed that he bought the IDs and badges for $100 online in March 2014 when he also “began to identify himself as a federal agent on online dating sites,” Hull told the judge.
In reality, Diiorio owned and operated Doodle Scoopers, based in the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park. Diiorio had also begun buying handguns and rifles, including an AR-15, like those used to equip Secret Service agents, though he’s not accused of doing anything illegal with the weapons. Because Diiorio’s crime is a felony, he’ll have to surrender the weapons, Hull said. Authorities haven’t named the company that created and sold the credentials. The fraudulent seal charge carries up to five years in prison, but under sentencing guidelines that take into account Diiorio’s lack of a recent criminal history, he’ll likely face probation.
Trio of puppies rescued from underneath burial vault
Firefighters came to the rescue of three puppies that were found trapped under a concrete slab at a cemetery in Florida on Thursday afternoon.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were alerted to a faint sound coming from underneath the burial vault which is used to house coffins at the cemetery in Miami-Dade. The crews moved around a couple of the slabs and found one puppy that was stuck in a tight spot.
A small trench was dug around the puppy and the dog was freed. But crews quickly realised that two more puppies were trapped underneath the slabs, and worked to rescue the other two. The puppies were all frightened but in good health, officials said.
It's unknown what led the puppies to the tight spot but it's believed they were cared for by their mother. The dogs were turned over to the Redland Rockpit Abandoned Dogs Project, which is trying to reunite them with their mother. They will be fed and put up for adoption after they're checked out.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were alerted to a faint sound coming from underneath the burial vault which is used to house coffins at the cemetery in Miami-Dade. The crews moved around a couple of the slabs and found one puppy that was stuck in a tight spot.
A small trench was dug around the puppy and the dog was freed. But crews quickly realised that two more puppies were trapped underneath the slabs, and worked to rescue the other two. The puppies were all frightened but in good health, officials said.
It's unknown what led the puppies to the tight spot but it's believed they were cared for by their mother. The dogs were turned over to the Redland Rockpit Abandoned Dogs Project, which is trying to reunite them with their mother. They will be fed and put up for adoption after they're checked out.
Police hunt for statue bear-napped from outside factory
Police in Abilene, Kansas, are on the hunt for a statue of a candy bear stolen from outside a factory.
The bear, which is 3.5 feet tall and 4 feet wide, was donated to the Russell Stover factory by former owners in the early 1990’s.
“It is a tourist kind of a landmark here in town,” said Russell Stover Plant Manager Paul Willis. “We actually built this patio because so many people want to take pictures with it,” Willis said. “Everybody here in town, they expect to see the bear here and they expect to take a picture with it,” he said.
Willis said the bear vanished sometime between Nov. 4 and Nov. 5. “No sign of it,” he said. “We keep looking on Facebook to see if anybody has any pictures of it in their living room or their front porch.” Abilene police are on the hunt for the bear and the suspected thieves. They are searching traffic cameras for clues.
YouTube link.
In the meantime, factory workers said they are left wondering where the bear might be. “We don’t know if it will show up on the beach somewhere in a Hawaiian shirt with a margarita or something else,” Willis said. Dickinson County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the bear.
“It is a tourist kind of a landmark here in town,” said Russell Stover Plant Manager Paul Willis. “We actually built this patio because so many people want to take pictures with it,” Willis said. “Everybody here in town, they expect to see the bear here and they expect to take a picture with it,” he said.
Willis said the bear vanished sometime between Nov. 4 and Nov. 5. “No sign of it,” he said. “We keep looking on Facebook to see if anybody has any pictures of it in their living room or their front porch.” Abilene police are on the hunt for the bear and the suspected thieves. They are searching traffic cameras for clues.
YouTube link.
In the meantime, factory workers said they are left wondering where the bear might be. “We don’t know if it will show up on the beach somewhere in a Hawaiian shirt with a margarita or something else,” Willis said. Dickinson County Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the bear.
Man who cheated recycling machine out of more than €44,000 with one bottle jailed
A drinks vendor in Cologne, Germany, modified a bottle-recycling machine to swindle tens of thousands of euros from the German recycling system, a court learned on Tuesday.
The man was then sentenced by a Cologne court on Wednesday to ten months in prison after he was convicted of professional deception.
The German bottle recycling system is simple enough. Place the bottle in the machine, press the button, take your receipt, and get a few cents back.
But the 37-year-old drinks salesman manipulated a bottle-recycling machine in the cellar of his drinks shop to earn a lot more than a bit of spare change. Having installed a magnet sensor and a kind of wooden tunnel into the machine, the man was able to feed the bottle into the mechanism, receive the compensation, and retrieve the bottle without it being shredded. The drinks vendor was therefore able to extract €44,362.75 from the machine by inserting the same bottle into the machine 177,451 times.
The defendant invested around €5,000 into his criminal machine. His lawyer stated that “it was a method by which one could earn good money with relatively little investment.” The judge described the feat as a “logistical master stroke”, concluding that he must have “done nothing else every day other than attend to the machine.” It is not known how long it took the man to earn the final sum, but the process was evidently extremely time-consuming. “I had a radio next to it because otherwise it was really boring,” the defendant replied. The scam is unlikely to be a one-off.
The Deutsche Pfandsystem Gesellschaft, which is responsible for the machine distribution and payments across Germany, did not notice the scam until an undercover detective was given an anonymous tip-off. The detective estimates that such scandals could be bringing about “damages into the millions [of euros].” The defendant’s lawyer stated her client offered a full confession, but added that he “did not invent the scam, but merely copied it.” Giving the defendant a ten month sentence, the judge spoke of the crime as an “audacious act to earn his money from such a scam.”
But the 37-year-old drinks salesman manipulated a bottle-recycling machine in the cellar of his drinks shop to earn a lot more than a bit of spare change. Having installed a magnet sensor and a kind of wooden tunnel into the machine, the man was able to feed the bottle into the mechanism, receive the compensation, and retrieve the bottle without it being shredded. The drinks vendor was therefore able to extract €44,362.75 from the machine by inserting the same bottle into the machine 177,451 times.
The defendant invested around €5,000 into his criminal machine. His lawyer stated that “it was a method by which one could earn good money with relatively little investment.” The judge described the feat as a “logistical master stroke”, concluding that he must have “done nothing else every day other than attend to the machine.” It is not known how long it took the man to earn the final sum, but the process was evidently extremely time-consuming. “I had a radio next to it because otherwise it was really boring,” the defendant replied. The scam is unlikely to be a one-off.
The Deutsche Pfandsystem Gesellschaft, which is responsible for the machine distribution and payments across Germany, did not notice the scam until an undercover detective was given an anonymous tip-off. The detective estimates that such scandals could be bringing about “damages into the millions [of euros].” The defendant’s lawyer stated her client offered a full confession, but added that he “did not invent the scam, but merely copied it.” Giving the defendant a ten month sentence, the judge spoke of the crime as an “audacious act to earn his money from such a scam.”
Jail for sword-wielding robber who was chased by woman clutching a plastic fork
A sword-wielding robber who was chased by a shop worker armed with a plastic fork has been jailed for four years.
Arthur Rennie, 20, from Port Glasgow, targeted Cowden's News and Fast Food Shop in Greenock, Scotland.
He waved the sword and pushed 23-year-old Julie Crighton and demanded cash. She refused, pushed him back and chased him while clutching the plastic fork.
Rennie was caught when a bag containing the sword and clothing, which had his DNA on them, was found near the shop. Jailing Rennie at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Rae told him: "I appreciate you don't accept the jury's verdict, but the evidence showed that you went into the shop, along with another, with your face covered and with a large sword. That young woman was extremely brave to tackle you and you then ran away."
The court heard that Rennie went into the shop, pushed Ms Crighton and repeatedly asked for money while waving the sword about. When she pushed him back, Rennie then fled with Ms Crighton giving chase while clutching a plastic fork. Lady Rae added: "This was a large sword and the incident must have been very frightening. She is an extremely brave young woman that tackled Mr Rennie despite the fact he had that sword."
In evidence Ms Crighton said:: "He was brandishing what I thought was a machete and made his way to the side of the counter. He came towards me and pushed me and I pushed him back. I think he realised I wasn't going to give him anything. He went out and I went out the shop after him. "I wasn't thinking of catching him. Just seeing where he was going." In court Ms Crighton was shown a sword and identified it as the weapon she saw in the shop. Rennie, was convicted, while acting with another, of attempting to rob the shop.
Rennie was caught when a bag containing the sword and clothing, which had his DNA on them, was found near the shop. Jailing Rennie at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lady Rae told him: "I appreciate you don't accept the jury's verdict, but the evidence showed that you went into the shop, along with another, with your face covered and with a large sword. That young woman was extremely brave to tackle you and you then ran away."
The court heard that Rennie went into the shop, pushed Ms Crighton and repeatedly asked for money while waving the sword about. When she pushed him back, Rennie then fled with Ms Crighton giving chase while clutching a plastic fork. Lady Rae added: "This was a large sword and the incident must have been very frightening. She is an extremely brave young woman that tackled Mr Rennie despite the fact he had that sword."
In evidence Ms Crighton said:: "He was brandishing what I thought was a machete and made his way to the side of the counter. He came towards me and pushed me and I pushed him back. I think he realised I wasn't going to give him anything. He went out and I went out the shop after him. "I wasn't thinking of catching him. Just seeing where he was going." In court Ms Crighton was shown a sword and identified it as the weapon she saw in the shop. Rennie, was convicted, while acting with another, of attempting to rob the shop.
Ban for uninsured drink-driver who got his brand new Mercedes stuck on tram track
An uninsured drink-driver who blundered on to a tram track in his new Mercedes has been given a 17-month motoring ban.
Maurice Cooney, 33, who caused five hours of disruption to services, admitted obstructing the tracks near Birmingham's Snow Hill tram stop.
He caused £6,000 of damage to his week-old car.
Cooney, of Donnington, Telford, Shropshire, who raised the alarm at an office building, admitted drink-driving. He admitted having no insurance and causing a danger or inconvenience by obstructing the tracks. A breath test showed a reading of 86mcg, more than double the legal limit of 35mcg, after he drove for 100m (328ft) along the tracks at about 07:00am on 6 November, Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard.
His solicitor, Harjit Rashoda, said: "Once you are following the Metro line at the back of Snow Hill there is no way of turning back and he had to carry on. The line then rises and that's where he became stuck. He tried to turn left and right and couldn't move the vehicle either way." Cooney, who runs a personal training business, had been invited on a night out with friends, the court heard. His solicitor said: "He located a porter and alerted them to the fact that the vehicle was stuck on the tramlines.
"He told them to call the police." She said the no insurance offence was an "oversight" linked to the acquisition of the 66-plate Mercedes. References from clients of Cooney were passed to magistrates. Cooney, who has no previous convictions, accepted the offer of a drink-driving rehabilitation course which will reduce his ban by 17 weeks. He was fined £246 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £135 and a £30 victim surcharge.
Cooney, of Donnington, Telford, Shropshire, who raised the alarm at an office building, admitted drink-driving. He admitted having no insurance and causing a danger or inconvenience by obstructing the tracks. A breath test showed a reading of 86mcg, more than double the legal limit of 35mcg, after he drove for 100m (328ft) along the tracks at about 07:00am on 6 November, Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard.
His solicitor, Harjit Rashoda, said: "Once you are following the Metro line at the back of Snow Hill there is no way of turning back and he had to carry on. The line then rises and that's where he became stuck. He tried to turn left and right and couldn't move the vehicle either way." Cooney, who runs a personal training business, had been invited on a night out with friends, the court heard. His solicitor said: "He located a porter and alerted them to the fact that the vehicle was stuck on the tramlines.
"He told them to call the police." She said the no insurance offence was an "oversight" linked to the acquisition of the 66-plate Mercedes. References from clients of Cooney were passed to magistrates. Cooney, who has no previous convictions, accepted the offer of a drink-driving rehabilitation course which will reduce his ban by 17 weeks. He was fined £246 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £135 and a £30 victim surcharge.
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