Watercooler Stories

Wife reports bank-robbing husband

BRADENTON, Fla., Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Florida police said they arrested a bank robbery suspect after his wife recognized his face in a surveillance photo on the news and reported him.

The Manatee County Sheriff's Office said Troy Sandifar, 45, allegedly robbed a First Bank branch of an unspecified amount of money at about 10:50 a.m. EST Tuesday and authorities received a call at about 6:30 p.m. from Afra Sandifar, who recognized her husband's face from a surveillance camera video broadcast on the evening news, the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald reported Thursday.

Deputies said Troy Sandifar fled the apartment with the cash from the robbery and his vehicle was stopped by authorities. However, he refused commands to exit the vehicle and was spotted swallowing what appeared to be a large amount of rock cocaine.

Sandifar was arrested after a brief struggle and taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital where he was treated for ingestion of drugs. Deputies said he made a full confession while being interviewed at the hospital.

The suspect was transferred to the Manatee County Jail and held without bond, deputies said.

Police: Shoplifting mom texted daughters

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla., Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said they arrested a woman who allegedly left her daughters behind at the scene of her attempted shoplifting and texted them while fleeing.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office said the 34-year-old woman was spotted at Kohl's department store in Fort Walton Beach Dec. 14 with a man and two teenage girls, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported Thursday.

Deputies said the foursome were stopped while leaving the store and the woman, whose purse was full of unpaid items from the store, threw her handbag at the employee and all four shoppers fled in different directions.

The two teenage girls were stopped from escaping by an employee and they told deputies the woman was their mother and the man was their stepfather. They said they knew their mother was attempting to shoplift from the store.

Police said one of the girls received a text message from the woman while they were being questioned.

"Are you running?" the message asked. "Hide her from the cops and stay together."

The woman, whose name was not released, was arrested and charged with larceny, crimes against a person and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Jail nurse allegedly sent nude pics

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Florida authorities said a nurse at the Broward County Jail was arrested for allegedly giving a prisoner a cellphone and sending it nude pictures.

The Broward County Sheriff's Office said Carline Jean, 34, of Margate was arrested Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into jail employees providing contraband to prisoners, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported Thursday.

The arrest of Jean, who is accused of giving a prisoner a cellphone and sending him nude pictures of herself, came after three detention deputies were arrested in December for allegedly giving out forbidden items as part of sexual relationships or in exchange for money.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dani Moschella said Jean was a nurse with Armor Correctional Health Services, which contracts with the jail.

Jean was charged with introducing contraband into a jail facility and use of a cellphone to facilitate a felony. She was taken to the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach in lieu of $75,000 bail.

Biden repeats same joke over and over

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who married for the first time at age 23, keeps telling young women they should not date until they are 30.

Biden repeated the advice many times Wednesday as he swore in new senators, The Washington Post reported.

He was bipartisan, with the same words for young relatives of Democrats Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Michael Bennet of Colorado and Chuck Schumer of New York as well as Republican John Thune of South Dakota: "Just remember, no dates till you're 30."

The joke is an old one for Biden. Sydney Toy, 12, of Carbondale, Pa., told the Post she got an autographed picture when she met the vice president in October along with the advice to avoid dating until she is 30 -- advice she does not plan to follow.

Biden married his first wife, Neilia, when he was in law school. In 1975, three years after her death in a car crash, he met Jill Jacobs, who was then 23, on a blind date and married her in 1977.