Perhaps you’ve idly wondered just what the craziest crimes committed really are. Well, wonder no more! Here are five zany U.S. crimes — even stranger than you could imagine:
1. Rock, Paper, Scissors or Jail? A teenager in Vine, Texas was at a College Station music festival, doing a bit of underage drinking when a police officer took her aside to take a look at her ID. The very serious-looking young lady challenged the police officer to a game of “rock, paper scissors,” in an effort to win her freedom. When the girl ended up with a rock—to the officer’s scissors—there were cheers and hugs from the gathered crowd. The girl’s face showed apparent relief—after all, a conviction for underage drinking could bring significant fines, a court appearance, court-mandated classes, expulsion from the music festival and a lasting criminal record. Unfortunately, the officer did not get off so lightly. Burleson County Precinct Constable Dennis Gaas says the officer and two more who were present for the game won’t be given such work in the future, and the officers’ respective departments were notified.
2. All in the Family? A kidnapping that really wasn’t a kidnapping occurred in Des Moines Washington. The story began when Allyssa Chang and Vien Nguyen, kidnaped two-year-old Ronnie Tran and his mother. To confuse matters more, Chang is the toddler’s father’s girlfriend, and Nguyen is the paternal grandmother. Chang and Nguyen tasered the toddler’s mother and tied her up in the garage. Chang brought the child to her brother’s home and asked him to babysit. The brother says he did not know the baby was kidnaped, and was just babysitting. The next morning, as the brother is feeding the toddler breakfast, he saw an Amber Alert on the television and realized the child on the television was the same one eating Cheerios in his kitchen. The police were called and both Nguyen and Chang are facing felony charges.
3. Armadillo Gunfire? What happens when you put a redneck, a pistol and an armadillo together? Well, if you happen to live in Georgia, the mother-in-law might have just been shot. Larry McElroy, a Georgia man, was plagued by an Armadillo who kept digging holes in his yard. Spotting the armadillo, McElroy grabbed his 9 mm pistol and shot at the armadillo which was about 100 yards away from his mother-in-law’s mobile home. The bullet hit the armadillo, ricocheted, went through the back door of the mobile home, into a recliner, and into McElroy’s 74-year old mother-in-law’s back. The mother-in-law was not seriously injured, and no charges were filed.
Read More: 10 Incredible Heists and Robberies
4. Just Playing Dentist? Something to think about, next time you go to the dentist…first, is that really your dentist? An office manager in New York apparently pretended to be the dentist while the dentist was away. Unfortunately, Valbona Yzeiraj must not have been paying attention while the dentist worked. Several patients were seriously injured after Yzeiraj performed root canals and even pulled teeth. Yzeiraj pleaded not guilty to five counts of unauthorized practice of a profession, one count of attempted grand larceny, three counts of reckless endangerment and four counts of assault. One of the dental patients treated by Yzeiraj developed an infection, and another still feels significant pain two years after the incident. When the real dentist returned and discovered his office manager’s ruse, he fired her—whereupon she attempted to steal $20,000 from the practice. Yzeiraj’s bail was set at the same $20,000 she attempted to steal and she faces seven years in prison.
5. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished? Sometimes being a Good Samaritan can backfire. The story begins in Marin County, California, when two men who stole a Honda, ended up crashing the car. The driver of a Toyota came upon the crash, and got out to see if she could help. While one of the thieves fled the scene, the other jumped in the Good Samaritan’s Toyota and sped away…only to crash a short time later.
Contact Our Boulder Criminal Defense Lawyers
When you are arrested and charged with a crime, the steps you take immediately after your arrest can have a huge impact on your ability to defend against these charges. Before you speak to the police or anyone, it is imperative that you call our Boulder criminal defense lawyers immediately. Contact the Boulder criminal defense lawyers at Steven Louth Law Offices today for a free consultation and review of your case. Call us at (303) 422-2297 to start building a solid defense against these serious criminal charges.