Skateboard bandit

On the lighter side

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AP) — Mexico City police say they have arrested a would-be bandit who rode his skateboard to bank robbery attempts.

Police say Sergio Ledesma and his skateboard have been turned over to prosecutors after he allegedly attempted to rob two banks by whispering threats to tellers.

Police say the teller at the first bank simply acted as if he hadn't heard Ledesma, who then skated off to a second bank.

The second teller told police Ledesma appeared to whisper a threat. So the teller set off a silent alarm, and counted out the money while the would-be robber waited patiently.

Police said Friday Ledesma was still waiting when they arrived and arrested him.

Where there's smoke...

NEW CASTLE, Pennsylvania (AP) — One western Pennsylvania fire department learned that there's not necessarily fire wherever there's smoke.

New Castle's assistant fire chief Jim Donston tells The Associated Press that firefighters were called when an electrical outlet on a floor was smoking, only to find that happened because the family's cat urinated into the outlet.

The New Castle News first reported the incident Friday and Donston supplied more details to the AP.

The assistant chief says a Columbia Gas worker was at the house checking for a possible leak when he noticed the smoking outlet and called the fire department Wednesday about 7:30 pm.

Donston says firefighters "found the receptacle wet from cat urine" and shut off the electrical supply to that circuit.

Cougar controversy

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah school district has decided against using "cougars" as a mascot for a new high school in part because of the negative connotation of the word in popular culture.

Canyons School District Superintendent David S Doty says the selection of "Chargers" as mascot was driven by the desire for originality, despite a poll of some future students that showed 26 per cent in favour of using the cougar.

At least three Utah schools, including Brigham Young University, use the cougar as a mascot.

Doty says public comments reflect a desire to be different, but he also notes that some see the word cougar as carrying a "negative double entendre."

The term cougar in popular culture can refer to women in their 40s who have sex with younger men.

Curly's home!

FERGUS FALLS, Minnesota (AP) — A goat that escaped a Minnesota Nativity scene is safe after 25 days on the loose.

Curly was found Wednesday afternoon on a farm southwest of Fergus Falls.

Tony Loomer came out to feed the horses and goats on his farm and noticed the extra goat. KBRF-AM reports Curly appeared hungry, wet and cold and had lost weight.

Curly's owner, Jim Aakre, came to make sure the goat was his. Aakre thought about going home to get a horse trailer, but Curly was already cold, so he and his wife, Karen, gave Curly her first car ride.

The three-year-old Angora goat was supposed to be part of a live Nativity scene but escaped while she was being unloaded for a Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Infectious threat

SHARON, Pennsylvania (AP) — Police say a man tried to rob a western Pennsylvania gambling parlour by threatening to spread a staph infection.

Online court records don't list an attorney for 41-year-old Fred Parker, of Coolspring Township.

Police say he walked into Lucky's Internet Cafe in Sharon on Monday night and began touching the walls and gambling machines, claiming he has MRSA — a serious staph infection that resists antibiotics.

Sharon police Chief Mike Menster says Parker then threatened to infect the cashier if he didn't give Parker money. The chief tells The Herald newspaper of Sharon, "It's our first case of robbery by threat of an infectious disease."

Police say Parker left when the cashier refused, but was arrested a short time later based on his description.

Parker remained in jail Wednesday.

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Skateboard bandit