UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

NYPD battle 'Superman' in Times Square

NEW YORK, July 10 (UPI) -- Police in New York said they arrested a man dressed as Superman and handcuffed a Batman in the city's Times Square.

Officers said Superman, secret identity Maksim Katsnelson, 23, of New York, became violent after police approached the Man of Steel and Batman, who by day uses the name Frank Frisoli of Maine, and asked them if they had licenses to perform on the street in costume, the New York Post reported Friday.

Frisoli was handcuffed by police after they discovered the men were not carrying any identification in their utility belts and Katsnelson allegedly punched a female officer in the face when she tried to stop him.

Witness Ryan McCormick said the Last Son of Krypton went down fighting.

"The Man of Steel didn't go down with just two officers, it took seven officers!" he said. "He was putting up a good fight. Little kids were like, 'Mommy, it's Superman!'"

Frisoli said the police let him go because he didn't cause any problems. Katsnelson was charged with assault and resisting arrest.

City cracks down on Amtrak mooning

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., July 10 (UPI) -- The city of Laguna Niguel, Calif., says it is "saying 'NO' to crack" by discouraging participation in an event known as "Moon Over Amtrak."

The Saturday event, which local legend says began in 1979 when a patron at the Mugs Away Saloon offered to buy a drink for anyone who would moon a train from the Camino Capistrano road, brought between 8,000 to 10,000 people to the city's streets last year to drink alcohol and expose their rear ends to Amtrak trains, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

The city described its Amtrak mooning stance on its official Twitter feed by saying authorities are "saying 'NO' to crack."

To help discourage people from participating in the tradition, the City Council passed resolutions in March banning on-street parking in the area near the railroad tracks between Thursday and Sunday this week as well as public drinking and public urination. The city already has an ordinance banning public nudity.

The City Council said in a statement that deputies "will be out in force, enforcing all laws and ordinances" during the weekend.

However, some die-hard mooners said they are still expecting a large crowd Saturday.

"This year, my first moon is going to be that way," said Rick Sanchez, a 15-year "Moon Over Amtrak" veteran, while gesturing toward City Hall.

Cat hides under hood during long commute

WATERLOO, Ill., July 10 (UPI) -- An Illinois insurance agent said his serial-stowaway cat has ridden more than 300 miles under the hood of his car.

Jeff Dehner, who commutes nearly 120 miles each morning from his Waterloo, Ill., home to American Family Insurance in Springfield, Ill., said he was shocked to see the kitten, Inky, run through the parking lot of his work when he arrived Thursday, the Springfield State Journal Register reported Friday.

"He must have climbed up in the drive shaft," Dehner said. "There must be something up there protecting him, because it's not an easy ride. The bed bounces."

Dehner said it was not the first time Inky has hitched a ride under his hood. He said the cat was apparently under the hood for more than 200 miles about three weeks ago before crawling out into the 90 degree heat.

"He was panting like a dog," Dehner said. "I put him in the cab of the truck and cranked the AC. He kicked back like he owned the world."

iPod suspected in Sweden Saab fire

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, July 10 (UPI) -- A Swedish Saab dealer says an iPod nano is a prime suspect in a fire that engulfed a parked car in the western part of the country.

Saab Automobile's fire investigators said the engine of the car, a Saab 9-3 station wagon that was purchased new two years ago, was cold when the automobile caught fire and was quickly destroyed by the flames, The Local reported Friday.

The investigators said they determined the fire was not deliberately set and the fire was likely caused by a technical malfunction or negligence. They said the fire began in the front seats of the car, which at the time of the blaze contained two iPods, a cell phone and a camera.

"Technicians discovered heat damage on the interior of the music player. They suspect the damage was likely caused by overheated electronics," Saab dealer Bengt-Erik Johansson said.

However, Saab officials stopped short of saying the fire was caused by one of the music players.

"There was electronic equipment in the car's middle console. We have examined it," Saab spokeswoman Gunilla Gustavs told Swedish news agency TT. "There were signs of interior heat damage in it. But that doesn't necessarily mean the fire was caused by it." The owner of the car said the remains of the iPod nano have been sent to manufacturer Apple for examination.