weird crimes

Read odd news stories and other latest weird crimes news from around the world on Newser.com

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Alleged Bank Robber Brought Along a Stolen Kitten

3-month-old Magnolia rescued unharmed after failed heist in Maryland

(Newser) - Police in Maryland say an alleged bank robber showed up with an unlikely sidekick: a stolen kitten. Prince George's County police on Monday arrested a man accused of swiping a 3-month-old tuxedo kitten named Magnolia from a Pet Supplies Plus in Beltsville, then carrying her into a nearby PNC Bank,...

Woman Accused of Sewing Housemate's Lips Together

Victim escapes home in Japan, seeks help with written note

(Newser) - Police in Japan say a woman's lips were literally sewn shut inside a shared home northeast of Tokyo. Authorities in Ibaraki Prefecture arrested 49-year-old Masae Sakurai on Monday, accusing her of stitching together the lips of a 42-year-old woman who had been living with her for more than a year,...

Man Accused of Faking His Own Death Dies in Prison

Nicholas Rossi, who fled to Europe to evade rape charges, died of existing medical condition: officials

(Newser) - A man who was accused of faking his own death and fleeing to Europe to evade rape charges in the US has died after he was taken to a hospital from a Utah prison, authorities said on Friday. Nicholas Rossi, 38, was serving at least 10 years in prison in...

Decision to Microwave Fish at Work Takes a Turn

Former officer Michael Debiase allegedly pulled his handgun on a colleague

(Newser) - A workplace spat over microwaved fish has ended a South Carolina detective's employment with his department and left him facing a felony charge. Authorities say former Myrtle Beach officer Michael Debiase, 46, pulled his department-issued handgun on a fellow officer Saturday after confronting the colleague about microwaving fish and...

Bank Robbery Suspect Stares Into Camera, Later Surrenders

Kevin Hitch, 52, faces armed robbery, assault charges after allegedly hitting Maryland bank

(Newser) - Maryland investigators didn't have to squint at grainy footage to ID this bank robbery suspect—he apparently stared right into the camera, then later walked into a police station. Authorities in Prince George's County say 52-year-old Kevin Hitch of Upper Marlboro entered a Truist Bank in Forestville on...

Professor Accused of Inventing Fake Nobel-Style Prize

French philology scholar allegedly fabricated award, society, and university

(Newser) - A French language scholar is accused of doing more than polishing his résumé—prosecutors say he invented the prize listed on it, the BBC reports. Florent Montaclair, a longtime academic in Besançon, is under investigation after allegedly creating a bogus "Gold Medal of Philology" and the...

A Police Camera Monitoring a Nest Spotted a Crime

Suspect sought after protected Canada goose nest disturbed in Illinois

(Newser) - Illinois police set up a camera to keep an eye on a nest of Canada goose eggs—and say they ended up catching a potential crime. "Two hours later, I get footage of a woman taking the eggs instead of the adult geese coming back," Niles Police Animal...

Hammer-Wielding Thieves Hit Jewelry Store 'Mob-Style'

Suspects 'knew exactly which cases to go hit,' says owner, and made off with a big haul

(Newser) - Shoppers at a Texas outlet mall watched a hammer-wielding crew storm a jewelry store in what one security expert is calling a "mob-style" robbery. Round Rock police say multiple masked, gloved suspects rushed into Marc Robinson Jewelers at the Round Rock Premium Outlets near Austin at 12:47pm Tuesday,...

Handcuffed Woman Slips Out of Police Car, Makes Run for It
When Cops Turned Their
Backs, She Made a Break for It
in case you missed it
Apr 4, 2026 2:46 PM CDT

When Cops Turned Their Backs, She Made a Break for It

Kendra Aney is back in custody after escaping cop car while handcuffed in Muskegon Heights, Mich.

(Newser) - An arrest in Muskegon County, Michigan, turned into what NBC News calls a "Houdini-like escape" after a handcuffed woman slipped out of a patrol car and ran off, all while officers stood just feet away. Police in Muskegon Heights say they approached a vehicle parked at an abandoned building...

This Easter Photo Op Didn't Go the Way It Was Supposed To

New Jersey man has been charged with groping mall Easter Bunny in Pittsburgh

(Newser) - A Pittsburgh area mall's Easter photo op ended with handcuffs instead of candy for one New Jersey man, police say. CBS News reports that, according to authorities in Bethel Park, 36-year-old Shivakrishna Bera groped a woman working in a full-body Easter Bunny costume at the South Hills Village mall...

Woman Sentenced for Putting Googly Eyes on $89K Statue

Australia's Amelia Vanderhorst ordered to pay restitution, complete community service

(Newser) - An Australian woman who admitted to slapping googly eyes on a pricey city sculpture after downing three liters of vodka and MDMA is now on the hook for repair costs. Initially charged with property damage, Amelia Vanderhorst, 20, of Mount Gambier pleaded guilty to a graffiti charge on Tuesday and...

Man Accused of 'Catastrophic Damage' at Seattle Museum

Suspect allegedly smashed glass sculptures, tried to stab security guard at Chihuly Garden

(Newser) - Visitors to Seattle's Chihuly Garden and Glass this week saw the aftermath of what police describe as a late-night rampage through the museum's outdoor installations. Seattle police say a 40-year-old man caused an estimated $240,000 in damage on Monday evening after allegedly infiltrating a secured area and...

Cops: Man Granted Freedom Commits Felony Before Judge

SC trespassing suspect allegedly tried to pay $250 bail with counterfeit bills

(Newser) - A trespassing suspect given the opportunity to post $250 bail tried to pay with four counterfeit $100 bills, telling the judge he could "keep the change," according to South Carolina police. Chesterfield County Magistrate John Davis declined the offer before noticing the color of the bills looked off,...

This Is the Nuttiest Crime You'll Hear About This Week

Police say thieves stole 60K pounds of walnuts worth $50K from Bronx trailers

(Newser) - Nut theft is apparently a thing, and New York State Police say someone recently made off with a massive haul in the Bronx. Per CBS News , investigators report that roughly 60,000 pounds of packaged, shelled walnuts—valued at about $50,000—were taken from two 52-foot trailers in the...

Pro Bowler Initially Assumed Theft Was a Prank

Steven Gallegos had $4.5K worth of gear stolen

(Newser) - A Denver pro bowler says someone committed a weighty crime: making off with 17 bowling balls that he had temporarily placed on his front porch last week. Steven Gallegos tells KDVR he left the balls—about 255 pounds of gear worth roughly $4,500—outside overnight while preparing to move...

Florida Man Charged With $40K Scam Involving Seasoning

Alleged scheme involved taco seasoning packets, pricey trading cards

(Newser) - Taco seasoning packets are at the center of what Florida officials call a months-long trading card theft scheme that netted nearly $40,000, USA Today reports. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's office says 39-year-old Keith Wallis used self-checkout lanes at Target stores from Miami to Orlando to pay only...

Home Alone Inspired Drug Dealer's Booby-Trap Defenses

Officers found homemade flamethrower, pipe bombs, stun guns, and more

(Newser) - A drug dealer who turned three homes into what prosecutors likened to a real-life Home Alone set has been sent to an English prison for seven years. Ian Claughton, 60, was convicted of drugs and firearms offenses after police uncovered a network of three fortified properties in the village of...

Guy Accused of Breaking Into Little Caesars to Sell Pizzas

Former worker allegedly kept the money for himself

(Newser) - Customers who braved a North Carolina snowstorm for pizza may have gotten more than they ordered. Police in Kinston say 41-year-old ex-employee Jonathon Hackett is accused of breaking into a Little Caesars after hours, firing up the kitchen, and selling pizzas to unsuspecting customers—then pocketing the cash, the News ...

Florida Man Accused of DUI After Driving Burning Car

Deputies say burning vehicle sparked brush fire along US 192

(Newser) - Drivers on a central Florida highway got a disturbing show Friday: a car rolling down US 192 while on fire, deputies say. The Brevard County Sheriff's Office says 60-year-old Patrick Rinaldi was arrested on suspicion of DUI after witnesses reported seeing him stop his smoking vehicle, then get back...

He Tried to Steal a Car, Checked the Trunk, Called Cops
He Tried to Steal a Car,
Checked the Trunk, Called Cops
in case you missed it
Jan 18, 2026 6:15 AM CST

He Tried to Steal a Car, Checked the Trunk, Called Cops

Alleged drug-trafficking scheme uncovered on Cape Cod after wannabe thief finds cocaine

(Newser) - A would-be car thief on Cape Cod ended up handing police a major drug case instead, authorities say. Barnstable police say the chain of events started on Jan. 6, when a man called to report he'd found a package of drugs on the side of the road, per the...

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