2018 Roundup: The Weirdest and Wackiest Crime Stories of the Year
Every morning local police begin their shifts not knowing what the day will bring. Typical afternoons likely produce a few traffic stops, arrests for petty crimes and perhaps a disgruntled perp or two. For a few members of law enforcement, 2018 will remembered as the strangest of their career. From costumed culprits to gambling nuns, here are the most bizarre crimes of the year.
Yabba-Dabba-Do! Though it was a few days after Halloween, a Florida motorist decked out his car with prehistoric decorations and donned a Fred Flintstone costume to cruise around the streets as the cartoon dad. Despite the animated character’s foot-powered transportation, the driver was actually arrested for speeding.
Bah-Humbug! An Ontario boy dialed 911 to report what he deemed an emergency: a bad Christmas gift. It’s unclear what he originally asked for, but the youngster unwrapped a pair of snow pants under the tree and took the extreme measure of calling for police backup. Luckily for the family no charges were filed but the boy will likely receive coal the following year.
Bank robbery gone wrong! A quick-thinking teller foiled an amateur thief in Ohio after the crook slid a threatening note over the counter demanding cash. As per company protocol, the employee calmly agreed to hand over the money but added a clever twist. They explained that accessing a large stack of bills required a customer’s driver’s license. The would-be robber handed over his ID and fled with the stolen cash, only to be arrested by police at the address on his card.
Avocad-woah! Forget gold and diamonds, thieves in New Zealand set their sights on an unusual target this past year. Due to a produce shortage, avocados were in short-supply for hungry Kiwis causing thieves to burglarize orchards for the creamy fruit. Farmers were forced to install razor-lined fences to protect their precious green goods.
It’s raining chocolate! Normally industrial spills are major criminal offenses, but one German factory gained worldwide fandom from sugar-lovers for their recent factory leak. An overflowing tank of chocolate seeped onto a nearby street spreading the sweet mixture onto the road. Unfortunately for nearby passersby, the path had to be shut due to the cold temperatures which froze the gooey substance into a rock-hard sheet. Puzzled firemen grabbed their tools to clear the street in what had to be their sweetest call of the year.
What happens in Vegas, didn’t stay in Vegas! Two card-loving nuns admitted to stealing almost half-a-million dollars from their Catholic school employer to fund a series of swanky gambling trips to the Casino-filled vacation spot. After their thievery was discovered the remorseful sisters apologized and along with their order, agreed to reimburse the school.
Time for a haircut! A Montana man shooting targets in the woods was himself nearly struck by bullets after being mistaken for bigfoot. The apparently hairy gentlemen was surprised by a hail of gunfire and quickly took cover. After discovering his victim’s human identify, the shooter explained the mix-up. No word on whether the would-be bigfoot will steer clear of forests from now on.
