NEWS & BLUES

Curses, Foiled Again

Three men stole items from a property in Moultonborough, N.H., after advertising them as giveaways on Craigslist even before they were stolen. Police believe the posts were meant to provide an alibi, so they could claim they were merely responding to the advertised offer of free items. “It is very bold, especially when you put that out on the Internet, and others are viewing it at the same time, probably going to show up as well,” Detective Stephen Kessler said. After determining the property owner had no intention of giving the items away, police staked out the address and nabbed the suspects in the act. (Manchester’s WMUR-TV)

Second-Amendment Follies

Combat City, a shooting range in Orlando, Fla., lets its customers fire at each other to test whether they have what it takes to shoot another person if their life depends on it. Owner Dave Kaplan greets customers, searches them for concealed weapons and ammunition, and modifies their weapons to fire only a soft rubber bullet. Participants then enter the range wearing protection for their head, neck and private parts. Even so, the rubber bullets hurt, more so than being shot with a paintball. “There is supposed to be a degree of pain,” Kaplan explained, “so that you do learn from it.” (Orlando’s WKMG-TV) An employee at the Copper County Sporting Arms gun shop in Silver City, N.M., was unloading a .45 caliber handgun when it accidentally fired, shooting a 65-year-old customer in the back. Police Chief Ed Reynolds reported the victim was listed in stable condition. (Las Cruces Sun-News) Firearms instructor Saulius “Sonny” Puzikas was conducting a live-fire training exercise at the Texas Defensive Shooting Academy in Ferris using live ammunition to fire at targets in a house. As darkness fell, he decided to run the course himself and opened fire with a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. He accidentally shot an instructor still inside the house, once in the hand and twice in the abdomen. Puzikas, whose gun did not have a light, insisted he didn’t see the victim, who was airlifted to the hospital and listed in stable condition. (The Ellis County Press)

Slightest Provocation

A woman drove to the police station in La Crosse, Wis., and told an officer she wanted to drop off her husband because he was “talking stupidly” and swearing. The husband, Johnnie Bolds, 53, had two outstanding warrants and was arrested. (La Crosse Tribune) Sheriff’s deputies in Sumter County, S.C. charged John Scott, 32, with stabbing a 23-year-old man while they were watching football and argued over how long Scott’s girlfriend had been in the shower. (Sumter’s The Item)

Fetish of the Week

Police who arrested Eric Carrier, 24, in Hampton, N.H., said he posted an ad on Craigslist seeking a female caregiver because he “could not control his bowel movements due to a brain injury.” According to investigators, he “indicated that he required assistance in changing soiled under garments.” After he met with a woman and asked her to change his soiled underwear, she became suspicious and called police, who learned that Carrier isn’t disabled and was convicted of a similar ploy this summer. (Boston’s WBZ-TV)

Mrs. Doubtfire’s Evil Twin

Paul Henry Cannon, 44, pleaded guilty in Waterloo, Iowa, to masquerading as a woman for four months. Cannon wore women’s clothing, was issued a driver’s license in the name of Shelia Davis, used her birthday and Social Security information, and held two jobs posing as her. He opened a bank account under Davis’s name and used it and the driver’s license to pass $600 worth of bad checks. Authorities uncovered the ruse after state troopers stopped Cannon driving 92 mph while wearing women’s clothing and issued the ticket to Shelia Davis. They later learned the car was stolen and went to arrest the real Shelia Davis, who knows Cannon, but realized they had the wrong person and nabbed Cannon. (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier)

Sticky Fingers

A Connecticut jury convicted Anthony Johnson, 49, of stealing up to $70,000 a week by crawling beneath seats in darkened movie theaters to remove credit cards from women’s pocketbooks. He used the stolen cards to collect cash advances from the state’s gambling casinos and to go on shopping sprees with his women accomplices, who would alert Johnson where potential victims kept their pocketbooks. The FBI said Johnson has been crawling on theater floors since at least 2007. (The Hartford Courant)

Litigation Nation

David Jiminez, 43, spent hours at the large crucifix outside St. Patrick’s Church in Newburgh, N.Y., praying for his wife, who was battling ovarian cancer. When she recovered, he offered to clean the crucifix in gratitude. While he was scrubbing Christ’s face, the 600-pound marble statuary toppled over and crushed his right leg, which doctors had to amputate. Even though charitable foundations covered his six-figure medical bills, Jiminez sued the church for $3 million. The church denied any responsibility. (Associated Press)

News and Blues is compiled from the nation’s press. To contribute, submit original clippings, citing date and source, to Roland Sweet in care of The New Times.