Weird Crime: Scammers Aplenty Involving Fake iPads, Fake Money

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in and around the St. Louis area.

Computer Tablet Scam Ends With Man Grabbing $800 From Woman A woman withdrew $800 from an ATM machine after being approached by two men on a QuikTrip parking lot in Hazelwood and said they were selling iPads and other electronic equipment. She led the men to a nearby supermarket where she withdrew $800 from an ATM machine. She then walked back to their car where they told her to take a box from the back of the car that supposedly contained the iPads. Instead, the boxes contained two picture frames that were made to look like iPads and another box that contained a wooden cutting board. Yet another box was filled with bubble wrap and a USB cord. During the transaction, one of the man grabbed the woman's $800 and fled. Another QuikTrip …

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Criminal Minds

Man Helps Himself to Supermarket Chicken After Stuffing Vodka in his Pants

A roundup of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crimes in and around St. Louis.

Chicken-Eating Vodka Thief The store security staff at Dierbergs Market, in Arnold, watched a man stuff four bottles of Absolut vodka down his pants Sept. 30 and then walk through the store eating chicken from the deli, according to police. When the man tried to leave the store, the security staff tried to stop him and the man kicked them. He was booked and held. A Man Walks Into a Bar A St. Peters man walked into a sports bar on Jungermann Road Oct. 15 and slugged a complete stranger who was watching television. The victim said he did not know his assailant, had never spoken to him and had never met him before. Six Cars Stolen From Dealership; One Left Behind Auto thieves snatched approximately six cars from the Johnny Londoff Chevrolet …

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Criminal Minds

Weird Crime: Yelling, Honking and a Burglar Frying Bacon

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crimes in the St. Louis area.

This crime roundup is collected from various incidents reported by police departments around the St. Louis area Too Early for Yelling and Honking A woman who was in her front yard in the Riverside subdivision in Fenton at 3 a.m. Sept. 11, and was yelling and honking her vehicle horn, was issued a peace disturbance summons. Ultra Huffing in the Woods The first clue that a man had been inhaling Ultra Duster was when police found him passed out in the woods on Sept. 14 with three cans of the compressed air product lying nearby, according to Fenton police. The man ultimately was arrested for returning three times to the Fenton Walmart before he was finally able to steal two cans of Ultra Duster. For those familiar with huffing, Ultra Duster is…

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Criminal Minds

Weird Crime: Disorderly Man Charged after Beating and Cursing His Vehicle

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crime items from around the St. Louis area.

Ranting and Raving While Intoxicated A 42-year-old Kirkwood man was arrested and charged in municipal court with disorderly conduct  on Sept. 7 in the 10000 block of Manchester Road. Employees of a nearby business called Warson Woods police when the man was observed beating on his vehicle and screaming profanities and racial epithets in the parking lot. The man was intoxicated and apparently upset because he had been involved in an accident in which the vehicle that struck his fled the scene in the city of Glendale several hours earlier. It Makes One Wonder What He Was Planning on Shaving A man recently stole at least 250 razor blade packages valued at $4,100 from three St. Charles County Walmart stores, police said. The packages contained…

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The Dangers of Traveling in Your Buddy's Pants

A roundup of odd and unusual crimes in the St. Louis area.

Counter Attack at Police Station An intoxicated woman was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct May 30 after police said she became combative and climbed onto the front lobby counter at the Richmond Heights Police Department. It began earlier in the day when police responded to a report that someone was blowing a car horn repeatedly in the 1600 block of Bellevue Avenue, according to police. Upon investigation, they found the 25-year-old woman sitting in her car and talking to her boyfriend by phone. The car was turned off. Police brought her to the station to await her boyfriend. After her arrest, her boyfriend arrived and she was released to him. Be Careful if You Wear Your Friend's Pants A St. Louis County Police Department South …

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Criminal Minds

Best of Criminal Minds 2011

A look back at some of the the most confounding and oddest items on the police beat in 2011.

Altoids Are Probably a Better Idea A woman was arrested Sept. 1 for stealing under $500 at the Shop N Save store in the first block of Gravois Bluffs Plaza, Fenton. Police said the suspect hid two bottles of vanilla extract in her purse and paid for the rest of her groceries, but failed to pay for the vanilla. Police said that when the woman was asked why she stole the vanilla she responded "I’m an alcoholic and drink the vanilla extract so my husband won’t find out I’m drinking again." Priorities A man was issued a summons Sept. 16 for urinating in the parking lot of the Steak 'n Shake in the 600 block of Gravois Bluffs Boulevard in Fenton. Police said the intoxicated man was asked why he was doing so and responded “My friends are still …

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Criminal Minds

Still-Wrapped Vehicle Stolen, Ex-Boyfriend Suspected in Oil Rampage

A roundup of odd and unusual crimes in and around the St. Louis area.

Shrink-Wrapped Mazda, Left Running, is Stolen A 2011 Mazda CX-7 was stolen between Dec. 1 from the lot of Bommarito Mazda. Police said keys were left in the vehicle, which was left running in order to do work on the vehicle related to its battery. When the worker returned to the vehicle, it was gone. The car, valued at $21,990 was still in the shrink wrap that Mazdas ship in from the assembly line. Police said the CX-7 likely still was in white plastic shrink wrap Mazdas ship in from the assembly line. Edmunds.com values the car at $21,990. Small Burglar Suspected An apparently undersized burglar squeezed into a home on Laurel Court in Florissant Nov. 30 through a doggie door and stole a Playstation game system, a laptop computer and …

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Mr. Grinch Sets Up House

A roundup of odd and unusual crimes in and around the St. Louis area.

Grinchy Thief Cleans Out Shed A fully decorated Christmas tree was among a variety of items stolen from a storage shed Nov. 17 on Tesson Hills Drive in Fenton. Also missing were a pool table, a sectional sofa, three air purifiers, a green bicycle and a set of red pots-and-pans and a table and chairs set. Making It Easy A woman told police she parked her car in front of a Walgreens store Nov. 13 in University City and then entered the store. When she returned, the vehicle was missing. She told police she may have left the keys in the vehicle's ignition when she went in the store. Making It Easy Part II During an investigation of a damaged street sign on Laclede Station Road in Shrewsbury, police found a clue at the accident scene that the …

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