You Stole What?
In Jensen Beach, Florida, police have arrested 33-year-old John Samuel Ricci for allegedly stealing -- are you ready for this -- communion wafers during a church service! Ricci was cornered by fellow churchgoers when he grabbed a handful of wafers from the priest during communion services Saturday. They held him down until the police arrived at the St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church. Our thief was charged with two counts of simple battery, theft and disruption of a religious assembly. And he'll of course now go to hell! (myway.com)
You Stole What? Part Deux!
In the small Russian village of Komarovo, thieves have somehow managed to steal a 200-year-old church! No kidding. The Church of Christ's Resurrection was built in 1809 but in early October someone reportedly took it away brick by brick. Father Vitaly, a spokesman for the local Russian Orthodox Church, said, "We have sent a letter to local prosecutors and hope an investigation will tell us who did this." The church was in an isolated area only occasionally visited by clergymen, so the disappearance was not immediately noticed. A survey of the large, two-storey church a few months ago found that it was structurally sound, but now all that remains are the foundations and sections of walls. (Ananova)
Woman Dies After Being Struck By Her Dead Husband's Coffin!
This has got to be the strangest way to go of all time. In Brazil, 67-year-old Marciana Silva Barcelos and her family were on the way to a cemetery in the town of Alvorada to bury her dead husband. However, a careless driver managed to run into the hearse carrying the coffin and Mrs. Barcelos, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. The crash caused the coffin to slam into her head, killing her instantly! The driver of the hearse and Mrs. Barcelos' son, who was also in the car, were treated for minor injuries. (Ananova)
Missing Cat Returns Home After 13 Years!
Back in 1995, Melinda Merman and Frank Walburg's cat, George, went missing in Santa Rosa, California. Melinda said she visited animal shelters and wrote to veterinarians in search of the gray, yellow-eyed cat that was equipped with a microchip implanted in his skin. But they never did find George until just this week when the manager of a mobile home park trapped the sickly feline and turned him into an animal shelter. They traced George back to his original owners who said he weighed half of what he used to. However, the cat is now eating well and displaying some of his old behavior, like jumping at flickering light on the wall the way he used to. (The Press Democrat)
Disturbing Prank
There are definitely some sick minds out there. In Caldwell, Idaho, Jennifer Keller and her 9-year-old daughter found a frozen pig head stuck on top of a pole next to a tree her yard. Police Sgt. Jim Watson said evidence suggests the head had been there just a few hours. Police are investigating but even if they catch the sicko who did this, the charge would be little more than a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace. (Idaho Press-Tribune)
More Not Ready For Prime Time Crime
In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, police say it wasn't exactly the most well thoughtout escape. A 32-year-old man stopped and handed over his license and registration at a sobriety checkpoint. But just after he did, he peeled out and sped away, almost hitting an officer. Police eventually pulled over the 32-year-old man and allegedly found marijuana in his vehicle. Our friend was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of drugs, disobeying a police officer and reckless conduct. (Portsmouth Herald)
No More Christmas Cards For You
In Beijing, one police chief probably won't be invited to many more family reunions. He arrested no less than 48 of his relatives, including brothers, cousins and a number of his wife's family, for various crimes. The police chief, who is in his 30s, personally arrested a brother and two cousins after finding they had beaten local teachers at a primary school while drunk. Other family members were arrested after stealing a woman's handbag. But his supreme sense of duty has inflamed other relatives, some of whom had taken turns threatening his parents, and had "even secretly cut off the tails and slashed the legs of their cows." (Reuters)
Batman Sues Batman
You probably didn't know this but in Turkey, there is actually a city named Batman -- and that city is now suing Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros for royalties from The Dark Knight. Huseyin Kalkan, the mayor of Batman, has accused the Batman movie producers of using the city's name without permission. Kalkan said, "There is only one Batman in the world. The American producers used the name of our city without informing us." The mayor also says the film's success has had a psychological impact on the city's inhabitants, which he blames for a number of unsolved murders and a high female suicide rate. So he's now gathering documentation he claims will show that the city of Batman predates the 1939 debut of the superhero in DC Comics. (Ananova)
