UPI NewsTrack Quirks in the News

Worker tells of body odor, gets punched

BELLINGHAM, Wash., April 23 (UPI) -- Police in Washington state said they arrested a man who allegedly attacked a Cost Cutter employee who told him other customers had complained about his odor.

Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young said Christopher Boehringer, 31, was in the store for about 4 hours Sunday, bringing several complaints from other customers about his body odor, the Bellingham Herald reported Friday.

Boehringer returned to the store Monday and was approached by an employee.

"It doesn't appear (the employee) was going to ask him to leave the store. He was just sharing the complaints, but the conversation didn't get far," Young said.

Young said Boehringer "snapped," threw down a pack of batteries and punched the employee in the mouth.

Police arrived at about 11:40 a.m. to find Boehringer being held down by employees.

He was taken to the Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree assault.

Police: Woman shot 5 people with blowgun

PLOVER, Wis., April 23 (UPI) -- Police in Wisconsin said they arrested a woman who allegedly shot at least five people with blow darts because she liked hearing people say "ouch."

Stevens Point Police said Paula Wolf, 41, of Plover, was arrested at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after five people complained of being hit by blow darts shot from her car in various locations, WSAW, Wausaw, Wis., reported Friday.

Investigators said Wolf told them she fired the darts at people because she liked hearing them say "ouch."

Wolf is also accused of breaking a window at a Plover pizzeria.

She was taken to the Portage County Jail and is expected to face formal charges Friday, WSAU, Wausaw, reported.

Police: Runaway was sleeping at store

ROSEVILLE, Mich., April 23 (UPI) -- Police in Michigan said employees at a Bed Bath & Beyond arrived for work in the morning and discovered a 15-year-old runaway had been sleeping at the store.

Roseville Police Lt. Donald Glandon said the workers found the boy Thursday morning, four days after he ran away Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported Friday.

"It seems a young man that didn't want to sleep out on the streets found an alternate location," Glandon said.

The teenager told police he had spent multiple nights at the store.

Glandon said the teenager apparently ran away a second time at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday and was found by his mother at about 6 a.m. Friday. He said the police department's Juvenile Division is looking into the case.

Manager fired after customer rampage

HAMPSTEAD, N.H., April 23 (UPI) -- A New Hampshire woman said she was fired from her manager's position at a convenience store for putting herself at risk during a confrontation with a customer.

Michelle DiCampo, 38, said a woman, identified by police as Tori Lynn Goulette, 32, of Hampstead, came into the Xtra Mart convenience store in Hampstead April 11 while DiCampo was working as a manager. Employees refused to sell the woman alcohol because it appeared she was already very intoxicated, the Manchester (N.H.) Union-Leader reported Friday.

DiCampo said she approached Goulette and asked her to leave the store because she was shouting. She said the customer challenged her to a fight and she told the woman to wait outside for 15 minutes while employees called police, the newspaper reported.

DiCampo said Goulette jumped into her van and started driving wildly around the parking lot when she and a worker came outside to take down her license plate information.

Goulette crashed into the nearby Honey Dew Donuts drive-thru, drove away and was arrested when she crashed the van again about a mile away.

Goulette was booked on charges of driving while intoxicated, conduct after an accident, operating without a valid license, three felony counts of reckless conduct, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

DiCampo said she was fired this week and told she put herself at risk during the incident. The Union-Leader said it was unable to reach Xtra Mart officials for comment.