UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Police: Dog ate attacker's weapon

SANGER, Calif., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Police say an intruder who broke into a home east of Fresno, Calif., rubbed spices on one sleeping man's body and hit another with an 8-inch sausage.

Fresno County Sheriff's Lt. Ian Burrimond said Antonio Vasquez, 22, allegedly first ransacked the home and stole some money before attacking the men in their rooms with food. Vasquez then allegedly ran from the house and hid in a nearby field, where he was found and arrested by deputies, The Fresno (Calif.) Bee reported Monday.

"It seems the guy ran out of the house wearing only a T-shirt, boxer shorts and socks, leaving behind his wallet with his ID," Burrimond said.

Burrimond said the spices and sausage were taken from the men's kitchen. He said the money was recovered, but the sausage used by the suspect to strike the sleeping man in the head and face was thrown out by Vasquez and eaten by a dog.

"That's right, the dog ate the weapon," Burrimond said. "I tell you, this was one weird case."

Vasquez was arrested on suspicion of residential robbery.

Dog back home after cell phone surgery

PRETORIA, South Africa, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A Pretoria, South Africa, family said their dog underwent a $700 surgery after he swallowed a cell phone whole.

Marie Matthews, 67, said her daughter Driekie Boojens was feeding the family dog, a Doberman-Great Dane mix named Nero, when the canine snatched the cell phone from her hand and swallowed it whole, The Daily Telegraph reported Monday.

"My daughter screamed terribly because we were scared that Nero would die," Matthews said.

The family took Nero to a local animal clinic where the cell phone showed up on an X-ray of the large dog's stomach.

Matthews and she and her husband, Archie, shelled out $737 for an operation the following day to remove the phone -- which she said had to be thrown out -- from the 11-year-old dog's stomach.

"They not only found the cell phone, but also a lot of stones," she said of the operation.

Matthews said the family is just happy to have their dog back at home.

"He is my life, like one of my children," she said.

Florida grandmother a rapping star

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A 79-year-old grandmother in Hallandale Beach, Fla., has no problem tearing up new rap lyrics about retirement in talent contests, her granddaughter says.

Jenna Hager said her grandmother, Angela Pusateri, has entered a number of South Florida talent shows and even created an album to share her Granny Rapper rapping style with the rest of the world, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel said Monday.

"Sometimes it's embarrassing," Hager said of her grandmother's untraditional antics. "But she really is a cool grandmother."

Pusateri said she decided to embrace the world of rap after surviving a bout with breast cancer that made her want to embrace life and her granddaughter.

"The whole idea is to form a bridge between the generational gap," Pusateri said. "I would love to see more kids playing bingo and more grannies into rap."

The Sun-Sentinel said while Pusateri does wear so-called gold "bling" on stage during her talent show performances, all proceeds from her "Who's Your Granny" album go to the Tourette Syndrome Association.

Michigan unique with baby girl names

DETROIT, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Residents of Michigan tend to be slightly more original in naming their baby girls than the rest of the nation, related data indicate.

While the name Emily for baby girls has been the most popular name handed out nationally for 12 years running, Michigan residents have made three different female names tops during that time span, the Detroit Free Press said Monday.

Data of Michigan births shows that in 2006-07 the name Ava took the top spot in the state in the wake of similar name victories by Emma in 2003-04 and Madison in 2001-02.

Yet both nationally and in Michigan, the top boy name remains Jacob. The first name has topped all Michigan baby boy charts since 1994 and has been the top baby boy's name nationally for nine years in a row.

"The One-in-a-Million Baby Name Book" author Jennifer Moss told the Free Press naming a child can be a monumental decision that parents shouldn't rush into.

"It's the kid's identity. If they get bad reactions to their name, they'll feel it's bad reactions to themselves," she said. "It can hurt their self esteem. But the perfect baby name is subjective."