Watercooler Stories

Couple allegedly stole police car for sex

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A man and woman charged with stealing a police car left running outside a Florida convenience store apparently wanted it for a quickie sexual encounter.

Alexander Pratt, 59, and Clara Pearson, 53, both Lake Worth residents, were charged with grand theft auto, The Palm Beach Post reported. They allegedly grabbed a Honda Civic belonging to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office that was being used by plainclothes detectives from the auto theft division.

The couple did not get far in their new wheels, a police report said. They were pulled over and arrested not far away.

Pratt told officers he was not sorry for his actions because he was eager to "have intimate relations with Pearson," a police affidavit said.

Martial arts competitors foil LA robbery

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Los Angeles police tipped their hats to martial arts experts from Oregon who foiled an attempted stickup at their motel.

Billy Denney and Brent Alvarez, both of Eugene, Ore., were in Southern California for a jujitsu tournament and came upon an alleged holdup at the front desk of their motel.

Even though the suspect allegedly had a gun, the Oregonians set down their bags and quickly apprehended him as he tried to leave.

"During the tussle with the suspect, the Good Samaritans repeatedly asked him to drop the gun and stop struggling," police said in a written statement. "The pair was finally able to wrestle the gun from the suspect and took him to the ground with a leg sweep and then held him on the ground until Rampart Division officers arrived."

The Los Angeles Times said the LAPD was impressed enough to post a video from the hotel security camera on the department's Web site.

Grad student studies Dumpster-diving

SEATTLE, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- An anthropology graduate student in Seattle said he is studying Dumpster-diving culture to bring awareness to the amount of edible food that ends up as trash.

University of Washington grad student David Giles, 31, an Australia native, said he has been vaulting into Dumpsters and scrounging for edibles as part of his thesis project, which he said he hopes will inspire people to donate leftover food to the hungry rather than throwing it out, The Seattle Times reported Friday.

"The first thing that hits you in the face is how good the stuff in the Dumpster is," Giles said. "It's thrown away because it's not profitable."

Giles said his Dumpster-diving research has cut his monthly grocery bill down to $100 and he knows others who sustain themselves strictly on what they find in the trash.

The graduate student said he plans to write a book about his experiences when he finishes his thesis next year.

Ankle monitor ties offender to crimes

HIRAM, Ga., Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Authorities in Georgia said a registered sex offender was connected to three indecent exposure cases using information from his GPS ankle monitor.

The Paulding County Sheriff's Office said information from the ankle monitor worn by Anthony Sims, 42, of Hiram put him at the scenes of three incidents in the area of South Davis Mill and Hiram Sudie roads, beginning in mid-September, WGCL-TV, Atlanta, reported Friday.

Sgt. Brandon Gurley said victims told investigators they spotted a man exposing his genitals near their homes.

"We are fortunate that technology such as GPS exists, and we will continue to use it in order to keep our communities safe," Sheriff Gary Gulledge said.

Sims was taken to the Paulding County Detention Center on charges including public indecency and simple assault. Investigators said more charges are likely.