It's a jungle out there - would-be robber slips up

Two subdue him, but he disposes of evidence

Dan Galindo

Journal Reporter

Published: May 16, 2009

If he had thought about it, Bobby Ray Mabe probably wouldn't have attacked the man trying to rob his store early Thursday.

But when a man holding something under his shirt asked for a Mountain Dew, then demanded money, Mabe and a patron grabbed the man.

"If he had had a gun he would've shot me," Mabe said yesterday. "But he had a banana."

Mabe owns 109 Biz Center off Thomasville Road, a computer cafe that features sweepstakes games. Patrons buy sweepstakes cards, and then find out on a computer whether they have won a cash prize.

When a man came in just after 1 and asked for the Mountain Dew, Mabe had just paid out $2,000 to a winner. Now someone was trying to take what little money he had left.

"It just flew all over me, and before I knew it, I had my hands on him," he said.

Mabe and the patron held the robber in a chair while they waited for Forsyth County sheriff's deputies to arrive. Meanwhile, the would-be robber ate the banana.

"And the deputy said, ‘Aha! He ate the evidence,'" Mabe said. "But we had the banana peel, and they took a picture of it."

John Steven Szwalla, 17, of 340 Yukon Trail, Wallburg, was charged with one count of attempted armed robbery.

Deputies joked about charging him with destroying evidence, said Major Brad Stanley, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.

Szwalla is in the Forsyth County Jail, with bond set at $50,000. He also was charged yesterday with common-law robbery by the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.

Maj. Brian Grubb of the sheriff's office said that the robbery was at the Kangaroo Express on Hickory Tree Road and happened just before the attempted robbery at Mabe's store.

Grubb said he had no other details about the incident.

Sheriff's office: Man tries to rob store using a banana

Forsyth County Sheriff's Office

John Steven Szwalla, 17, was charged with common-law robbery after he tried to rob a store using a banana tucked under his shirt to look like a gun, according to the sheriff's office.

Attorney gets arrested at courthouse for possession of marijuana

Deputies say they found pot and pipe in her bag

06:08 PM CDT on Friday, May 15, 2009

Attorney gets arrested for having pot and pipe in court - An attorney was arrested heading into the Bexar County Courthouse after deputies found marijuana and a pipe in her purse. She claimed it wasn't hers, but it didn't matter.

Amanda Stanzilis, Reporter

Attorney Regina Criswell was arrested at the Bexar County Courthouse after deputies say they discovered two ounces of marijuana and a chrome-colored marijuana pipe in her bag.

Deputies say Criswell was heading into the Courthouse to go to work. As is standard, security guards went through everyone's bags including Criswell's. That's when they say they found the baggie and pipe. Deputies were called over, and questioned Criswell. The 50 year old woman admitted she knew the drugs were in her bag, but said they belonged to a client.

Deputy Ino Badillo said, "It doesn't matter who you are. You can't be in possession of narcotics. Period."

Badillo says this is the first time he can remember an attorney being arrested for drug possesion at the Courthouse.

Video Link:

http://www.kens5.com/latestnews/stories/KENS20090515-ATTORNEYPOTARREST.7e6a12a.html

Link To Photo  Of Bad Hair Bandit and Slide Show:

http://www.abc15.com/content/news/northeastvalley/scottsdale/story/MCSO-Deputys-actions-foiled-Bad-Hair-Day-Bandits/lrnR-GCxekS0J79MSc37EQ.cspx

TAMPA, FL -- A Tampa woman refused to be a carjacking victimn said she was approached by an armed man who jumped into her car on Thursday.  The woman, who only wants to be identified as Adrianna, pulled out her own gun.  "I just leaned forward and punched him in the forehead with my gun," she said.  The man "screamed like a girl and almost dropped his gun" as he ran away, she added. Tampa Police have arrested one suspect so far in what they see as a pattern of carjackings.  A-Keem Carr was arrested on related charges, but two others are believed to be preying on motorists in the Westshore area. So far, two carjackings and four attempted carjackings have occurred over the last two weeks.   In one case, a man from Land O' Lakes was pumping gas when an armed suspect approached demanding the car keys.  The man refused because his 6-month-old son was still in his car seat and the suspect took off. Another incident involved a woman who was closing her business when she was approached by an armed man who took her van.  Her credit cards were used at a business in St. Petersburg and the van was found later along 39th Street in St. Petersburg.  A. Keem Carr was charged in that crime. Other carjacking attempts included a woman standing next to her car in the Regency Apartments when she was approached but she screamed and scared off the bandit.  Adrianna was pulling into the International Mall when the armed man jumped in her car.  She talked about defending herself.  "I didn't want to have to shoot...anyway over a car.  But if it was going to be him or me..." Tampa Police warn the suspects are becoming more aggressive and may be prone to violence

Link to Video Slide Show and Photo of Robber:

http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/Tampa-woman-stops-armed-carjacker-with-her-own-gun/lzk5OlbYpkC5occGcyQP_w.cspx

http://www.kontraband.co.uk/pics/17508/Mugshot-Tattoos-Madness/

10 Things You Didn't Know About You

The human body is a great, sweaty, fluid-filled machine, moving and mixing chemicals with precision and coordination, making everything from memories to mucus. Here we explore some of the complex, beautiful or just plain gross mysteries of how you function.

Start Here:

http://www.livescience.com/health/top_10_about_you.html

101-year-old woman runs for town council

Published: May 14, 2009 at 6:23 PM

Coupon: $1 million off condo purchase

Published: May 14, 2009 at 4:10 PM

Memorial Day Promotion:

Free Funeral Planning for Drunk Drivers

Thu May 14, 2009 3:05 PM EDT

Did you know that Memorial Day ranks as the 3rd most deadly holiday due to drunk driving accidents? Funeralwise.com wants Americans to stop and think before drinking and driving this Memorial Day Weekend. To raise public awareness of this serious issue, Funeralwise.com is encouraging anyone who plans to drink and drive over the holiday weekend to create a funeral plan in advance. They made need it sooner than they think.

You can join in the fight against drunk driving because Funeralwise.com will donate $10 to Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the first 10,000 funeral plans created using our online funeral planner through May 25th. Your funeral plan will not only be helping MADD but you'll be taking an important step for your family as well. All you need to do is take a few minutes to complete a simple 4-step funeral plan.

 Thank you. Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

     http://funeralwise.com/

Funeralwise.com wants Americans to stop and think before drinking and driving this Memorial Day Weekend. To raise public awareness of this serious issue, Funeralwise.com is encouraging anyone who plans to drink and drive over the holiday weekend to create a funeral plan in advance. For people who do not intend to drink and drive, Funeralwise.com is providing a tangible way they can help fight drunk driving by donating $10 to Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for the first 10,000 funeral plans created on its website through May 25th.

Man hasn’t bathed in 35 years to sire a son

May 14, 2009 • 8:46 am

By Diana Fasanella

An Indian father with seven daughters has not washed for 35 years to help ensure his next child will be a boy.

Kailash Kalau Singh told a friend that a “seer” once told him 35 years ago if he did not take a bath he would be blessed with a male child, according to Hindustan Times. So he stopped. 

Instead of washing with water, Singh bathes by standing with one leg beside a bonfire and smokes marijuana while praying to Lord Shiva. The “fire bath” helps to kill germs and infection, he claims. 

The 63-year-old man’s professional life suffered when customers of his grocery store stopped shopping there due to his “unhealthy personality.” He had to close the store and now tills fields in the holy city of Varanasi. 

Kalau claims his commitment to not bathing was due to national interest. He vows to end his pledge when all problems confronting the nation end. His neighbors in the village of Chatav differ and say his washing boycott really is about his suspicions and not having a son. 

Most Indians prefer sons, who are typically regarded as breadwinners, while girls are seen as a burden because of the matrimonial dowry demanded by a groom’s family and the fact that their earnings go to their husband’s family. 

No washy washy? It’s a miracle he has seven daughters. 

I’m melting, I’m melting!

http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/090513-best-illustions.html

MANNING, S.C., May 13 (UPI) -- Police in South Carolina said a waitress allegedly shot a customer in the arm and struck the customer with the gun during a heated argument.

Crystal Samuel said she was waiting for a takeout breakfast order at the Waffle House in Manning, S.C., when a waitress, identified by police as Yakeisha Ward, 29, allegedly told her friends they could not eat their food while waiting for Samuel's order, WLTX-TV, Columbia, S.C., reported Wednesday.

"I said what is your fuss about. I said we haven't paid for our food. She (Ward) said well you all got to leave. How you want us to leave and we ain't paid for the food yet," Samuel said.

Samuel said she threw a waffle at the waitress "but it didn't hit her."

"That's when she (Ward) jumped across the counter and we got into it," she said.

Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett said the women took their argument outside and Ward retrieved a gun from her car. He said Ward's gun discharged during the altercation and a bullet fragment struck Samuel in the arm. Ward also struck Samuel in the head with the gun before deputies arrived and ended the confrontation, Garrett said.

Ward was charged with assault and battery with intent to kill. She was released after posting $500 bond.

May 12, 2009

DALLAS - Like most twins, 11-month-old Justin and Jordan have a lot in common. But it's what they do not have in common that has a lot of people, including their parents, calling them a miracle of science.

"I have twins, but they're by different fathers," said Mia Washington.

The twins' parents contacted FOX 4, wanting to go public with their story. Washington admits she had an affair that resulted in two babies, born at the same time, fathered by two different men.

"Out of all people in America and of all people in the world, it had to happen to me. I'm very shocked," Washington said.

The parents went to Dallas DNA Lab Clear Diagnostics after noticing the twins have different facial features.

According to the paternity test, there's a 99.999 percent chance Justin and Jordan do not have the same father, and zero percent chance they do. The lab has never seen this type of result, nor do they expect to see it again....

Video Link:

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/weird/Dallas_Twins_Fathered_by_2_Men