My story of the week

[Michele]

Last week I posted a story involving a guilty verdict from a homicide case that resulted after the examiner identified a fingerprint on a chewed piece of bubble gum (I still like that story). This weeks 'story of the week' isn't so flattering to the person working the case (I know it could happen to anyone - I have some embarrassing stories myself).

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http://www.pnj.com/article/20090829/NEW ... 90320/1135

Burglar hits home again while police are present

TV left behind, then stolen again as police investigate

Travis Griggs
tgriggs@pnj.com
Steve Fluegge was shocked when he walked downstairs in his North Hill home about 6 a.m. Friday and came face to face with a burglar in his living room.
But he was even more shocked when, less than three hours later, the burglar returned and swiped a television he left in the backyard — while a police investigator was still on the scene.
"While they were inside processing the scene, the thieves came back and took it," Fluegge said.
"They were all very embarrassed," said Fluegge, 57.
Fluegge said he discovered the burglar inside his home in the 1400 block of North Spring Street shortly after waking up Friday morning.
"I said, 'What the hell are you doing in my house?' " Fluegge said.
The man ran from the house and fled across the backyard, disappearing into the early morning fog.
"We called the police and they were here within just a minute or so. There were policemen all over the place," Fluegge said.
Pensacola Police Department Capt. Jay Worley said several police units canvassed the neighborhood looking for the suspect, even using a K-9 to track the man's scent. But after looking for more than an hour, they gave up the search.
The burglar made off with several items, including Fluegge's wallet, a watch and a Nintendo 64 video game system. But he left one of the biggest items — the Fluegges' 42-inch plasma television — sitting near a fence in their backyard.
"It's a big, heavy TV. It probably weighed close to 100 pounds. You're not going to carry that thing a mile or two down the road," Fluegge said.
A crime scene technician arrived on the scene about 8 a.m.
Worley said the technician didn't want to move the TV before he dusted it for fingerprints, but he couldn't dust it immediately because it was damp with dew. He covered it with a plastic tarp and left it in the backyard to dry while he worked inside the house.
But when the technician returned about 45 minutes later, the tarp had been tossed aside, and the TV was gone.
"It looks bad and everything, but there's no way it could have been foreseen that someone would come back and do that," Worley said.
"We're doing everything we can to locate the suspect and not mess up the evidence. ... We had no reason to believe the TV would be stolen again," Worley said.
Worley said Friday afternoon that police were still searching for the man, and they hope that crime scene processing from inside the home will link them to a suspect.
Fluegge said the Pensacola Police Department offered to pay for the stolen TV, which cost about $1,000, and overall, he's in fairly good spirits about the ordeal.
He said he and his wife, Bridget, have lived in the home for 15 years, and it never had been broken into before. The couple said they're still shocked at the brazenness of the thief, who came back even though a crime scene van was parked out front.

[Boyd Baumgartner]

Continuing in the tradition of this thread.

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5824DP20090903

MIAMI (Reuters) - A bank in Florida refused to cash a check for an armless man because he could not provide a thumbprint.

"They looked at my prosthetic hands and the teller said, 'Well, obviously you can't give us a thumbprint'," Steve Valdez told CNN on Wednesday.

But he said the Bank of America Corp branch in downtown Tampa, Florida, still insisted on a thumbprint identification for him to cash a check drawn on his wife's account at the bank, even though he showed them two photo IDs.

In the incident last week, a bank supervisor told Valdez he could only cash the check without a thumbprint if he brought his wife in with him or he opened an account with them.

"I told them I neither wanted an account with them and couldn't bring my wife in because she was nowhere close by," Valdez told CNN.

Bank of America said in a statement cited by CNN: "While the thumbprint is a requirement for those who don't have accounts, the bank should have made accommodations."

Valdez said his treatment by the bank violated the U.S. Americans with Disability Act requiring institutions to provide reasonable accommodation to disabled persons.

(Writing by Pascal Fletcher; editing by Todd Eastham)

[Steve Everist]

Here's another (with links to the video at the site): http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/21 ... -metro/?71

By STEVE ANDREWS | News Channel 8

Published: September 21, 2009

Related Links

* Raw video from surveillance camera
* Video report

With guns drawn and flashlights cutting through darkened rooms, Polk County undercover drug investigators stormed the home of convicted drug dealer Michael Difalco near Lakeland in March.

As investigators searched the home for drugs, some drug task force members found other ways to occupy their time. Within 20 minutes of entering Difalco's house, some of the investigators found a Wii video bowling game and began bowling frame after frame.

While some detectives hauled out evidence such as flat screen televisions and shotguns, others threw strikes, gutter balls and worked on picking up spares.

A Polk County sheriff's detective cataloging evidence repeatedly put down her work and picked up a Wii remote to bowl. When she hit two strikes in a row, she raised her arms above her head, jumping and kicking.

While a female detective lifted a nearby couch looking for evidence, another sheriff's detective focused on pin action.

But detectives with the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the Auburndale, Lakeland and Winter Haven police departments did not know that a wireless security camera connected to a computer inside Difalco's home was recording their activity.

The recording obtained by News Channel 8 showed several members of the county's High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force entering the house shortly after 8 a.m. According to the search warrant, their mission was to search for drugs, stolen property and the fruits of any illegal drug activity.

Now there are questions on how the impromptu bowling tournament might affect the case against Difalco.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd denies it will have any effect.

"That absolutely is not true; that doesn't invalidate the search at all," Judd said. "Now the defendant would like for it to invalidate the search, but unfortunately for him, it won't."

Judd, who watched the video during an interview last week, called the situation an embarrassment.

"I'm not pleased that they played that Wii bowling game," Judd said. The sheriff's office oversees the drug task force. Judd said he initiated an internal administrative investigation of the incident.

"That is not appropriate conduct at a search warrant," he said. "But I am less pleased with the supervision that didn't walk in and say, turn that off. That's what supervision should have done."

Task force members played the video game at various times during the day, for a total of a little over an hour of playing time. The competition proved to be quite competitive at times. A task force supervisor from the Lakeland Police Department, gun at his side, pumped his fist after picking up a strike on the first ball he threw. The video showed he continued bowling frame after frame, competing with another undercover detective.

"Obviously, this is not the kind of behavior we condone," Lakeland Police Chief Roger Boatner said. "There was a lot of down time, but that does not excuse the fact that we should act as the consummate professionals."

"Certainly this was a case of bad judgment," Auburndale Police Chief Nolan McLeod said. "We will handle it appropriately."

Winter Haven police Sgt. Brad Coleman said Chief E.C. Waters had not viewed the video. "If there is any indication that someone did something inappropriately, we will do something about it," Coleman said.

Court records show detectives placed Difalco's home under surveillance as far back as December 2008.

"We knew he had weapons," Judd said. "He's a bad guy."

His history includes an extensive arrest record dating back to 1995. Difalco, 43, served three years in state prison from 2002 to 2005 for trafficking drugs, owning and operating a chop shop, and grand theft.

In what Judd called "brilliant police work," the task force placed Difalco under surveillance and took him into custody, away from his home and weapons, during the early morning hours of March 6, in the parking lot of a Circle K convenience store on Highway 98.

Documents filed with the court say, in the March raid, detectives removed methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, weapons and more than $30,000 in stolen property.

The 11 charges against Difalco include trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and operating a chop shop.

According to sheriff's office records, 13 detectives and three sergeants spent nine hours searching Difalco's property, for drugs, stolen property and signs of any illegal drug activity.

The raid cost taxpayers more than $4,000.

Judd, Boatner and McLeod agree the bowling was inappropriate. But they challenge the notion that taxpayer dollars were wasted.

"It was an expansive scene, a lot of searching to be done, a lot of waiting," Boatner said.

"The nature of a search warrant is hurry up and wait," Judd said. "Am I trying to defend the fact that they were bowling, not at all. That was inappropriate."

Not just inappropriate, but Tampa defense attorney Rick Escobar would argue the moment detectives turned on that video game and effectively seized it, they turned the search warrant into an illegal search.

"I've never seen anything like this," Escobar said after he viewed some of the video. Escobar does not represent Difalco and has no connection to the case.

"All the citizens are thinking, 'Wait a minute, we are paying these people to go out and protect us and here they are playing bowling on our time,' " he said.

"The real question here is have they seized property that wasn't described in the search warrant?" Escobar asked. "Clearly if they're using it, they've seized it and for totally improper purposes, because it's for entertainment. Investigations are not for entertainment."

Difalco's attorney declined comment.

Chip Tulberry, a spokesperson for the Polk County State Attorney, declined to comment on the video, or the validity of the search warrant.

"That's a discussion that will occur in court," he said.

News Channel 8 reporter Steve Andrews can be reached at (813) 221-5779.

[areitnau]

Another classic....

http://mashable.com/2009/09/17/facebook ... -arrested/

So apparently it actually works both ways: careless Facebook use can both get you robbed and get you arrested for burglary.

According to The Journal, a 19-year-old Pennsylvania man was arraigned earlier this week on a charge of felony daytime robbery. How did police catch him? Simple: the burglar left a trail, by way of checking his Facebook() account before leaving the house with two diamond rings and forgetting to log out.


Jonathan Parker remains in custody on $10,000 bail, facing a maximum 10 year prison sentence if convicted. A friend of the defendant said Parker had asked him for help breaking into the victim’s house the previous night, so things are not looking too good for the perp.

What do you think: is this a case of Facebook addiction, or just a very dim burglar? If robbery weren’t such a serious matter we might consider this story pretty much hilarious. As Homer Simpson would say, “doh!”

-Andy

[Pat A. Wertheim]

Police force quits after lottery win

A town's entire police force has quit in Hungary after winning more than £10 million in the lottery.

The 15-strong squad in Budaors scooped the jackpot with their ticket on Tuesday and all resigned on the spot.

Police chiefs have scrambled back-up units to the region until more full-time officers can be recruited.

It was the sixth biggest win in Hungarian lottery history, reports the Daily Telegraph.

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3524504.html

That sounds like the retirement plan I have.

[RedFive]

http://lapoliticanewmexico.blogspot.com/2009/10/sign-of-times-juarez-runs-out-of-crime.html

Municipal officials in Cd. Juarez yesterday admitted they had run out of yellow crime-scene tape, due to the recent spike in homicides. The Delicias sector, in particular (the highest crime-rate area in the city) has been without tape for some time. Some police have resorted to using tape of other colors, including (yes!) red tape, to secure their crime scenes. Homicides and drug-related crimes are the jurisdiction of state and federal police, respectively, but it is the responsibility of the municipal police to secure crime scenes within the city. Officials say new supplies of tape have been ordered.

So, should we start sending care packages of crime scene tape to Juarez?

[Pat A. Wertheim]

If some of these guys would only put their genius to work in constructive ways:

http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=912#

Dennis LeRoy Anderson is the Minnesota man who got a DUI in a motorized La-Z-Boy. Apparently he hit a parted vehicle while he was tooling around on his motorized lounge chair. He has pleaded guilty.

Dennis Anderson, 62-years-old, has a pretty unique method of getting around. His motorized La-Z-Boy turns out not to be the best place for him to get soused though. On Monday, October 19, 2009, he appeared in the St. Louis County District Court and pleaded guilty to DWI in connection to an incident in which he hit a parked vehicle while driving his La-Z-Boy under the influence of alcohol.

The driving a recliner under the influence incident happened on August 31st. Apparently, he had used the motorized chair to get himself to a bar in Proctor, where he is from. He told police that when he left the Keyboard Lounge he was driving just fine until a woman jumped on the chair. At that point, he lost control and hit the parked car. He says he had eight or nine beers in the bar. His blood alcohol level at the time was measured at 0.29 percent which is more than three times the legal limit for driving.

According to the Proctor Deputy Police Chief Troy Foucault, Anderson has the chair rigged up using a converted lawnmower Briggs & Stratton engine that is set for different power levels. He’s got it customized with a stereo, cup holders, steering wheel and a National Hot Rod Racing Association sticker on the head rest.

As cool as he’s made the chair, he had to give it up due to the DWI conviction. He had a previous conviction for drunk driving. The police plan to auction off the chair.

Dennis LeRoy Anderson, now known as the Minnesota man who got a DUI in motorized La-Z-Boy, plead guilty. Sixth Judicial District Judge Heather Sweetland sentenced him to 180 days in the St. Louis County jail. He was fined $2,000 plus court fees. She commuted the jail time and half the fine as long as Anderson completes two years of supervised probation and be electronically monitored for 30 days. He is also ordered to submit to a chemical dependency assessment, comply with their recommendations, abstain from alcohol and/or drug use and submit to random drug and alcohol testing.

[Kasey Wertheim]

They would probably get ten times more for the chair at auction if they listed it on ebay with a link to this article! That's crazy.

[Boyd Baumgartner]

Cuban man set to die Tuesday for Houston slaying
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... P7L81.html

Valle was arrested when his fingerprint was found in a car tied to another slaying, one of several authorities tied to him.

"I know I can take this with peace," Valle said, promising he wouldn't fight when time came to go to the death chamber. "I want to leave something with my family — a good impression."

It could arguably be said that he already left a good impression, or at least a suspect value one..... [/rim shot]

[Charles Parker]

"I know I can take this with peace," Valle said, promising he wouldn't fight when time came to go to the death chamber. "I want to leave something with my family — a good impression."

Three more Texas prisoners are set to die next week.

Like Ron White (Tater Salad) said. While most states are slowing down their death penalities, Texas has made an Express Lane.

[Michele]

I liked the comment from the attorney, "We really don't have a leg to stand on,"

I wish our defense attorney's felt this way.

[Gerald Clough]

I liked the comment from the attorney, "We really don't have a leg to stand on,"

I wish our defense attorney's felt this way.

[Identify]

http://www.ohio.com/news/70663697.html
(link includes video)

Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note

By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal

POSTED: 06:58 p.m. EST, Nov 20, 2009

Police believe they have their man.

But they fear their suspect in a bank robbery may have eaten some of the evidence — the note handed to a Streetsboro bank teller demanding cash — while he was handcuffed and leaning over the hood of a police cruiser.

Twinsburg police Patrolman Daniel Biada said a dash cam video of Thursday's arrest of John H. Ford, 35, of Cleveland, shows Ford gobbling a piece of paper while officers searched his pockets.

''As we're searching him, officers are removing items and throwing them on the cruiser [hood],'' Biada said. ''We're searching him for weapons. We're not looking at his head.''

The whereabouts of the note demanding money came into question after Biada was taken into custody and Streetsboro investigators asked whether officers had found the piece of paper.

Twinsburg police reviewed the images captured on camera and said they observed Ford leaning over to eat something off the hood of the cruiser.

''He grabbed it in his mouth, just like Pacman,'' Biada said. ''He just ate it right there.''

Authorities said they found a .38-caliber pistol on the driver's side floor of Ford's car and a wad of cash covered in red ink on the passenger side of the vehicle.

Ford is also a suspect in bank robberies in Stow and Akron.

In the Streetsboro case, a man walked into the FirstMerit branch on state Route 14 around 10 a.m. and handed a teller a note that demanded money. The robber did not produce a gun inside of the bank.

Witnesses say he fled in a dark Ford Escort.

Twinsburg police stopped Ford, who was driving a black Ford Escort, on Interstate 480 shortly after the robbery was reported and turned him over to Streetsboro police.

[PCC]

I saw this video today...PRICELESS! Made me wonder..who is the poor sole that is going to have to collect and book the swallowed evidence?