Watercooler Stories

Homeless man returns diamond ring

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Almost $100,000 has been collected for a homeless man in Kansas City, Mo., who returned a diamond ring a woman mistakenly dropped into his cup.

Sarah Darling, who lives in Kansas City, told CNN Friday that she had put the ring in her coin purse because it was giving her a rash. When she saw Billy Ray Harris, she gave him her change and forgot the ring was also in the purse.

Two days later, she found Harris, who said he had been keeping the ring for her.

"I actually feel like I'm especially lucky to have this ring now. I loved it before. I loved it so much, but I love it so much more now. I feel like it has such great karma," Sarah Darling said on "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien."

Darling and her husband, Bill Krejci, set up a fund for Harris on the giveforward.com website. More than 3,400 people from around the world have made contributions.

Harris will get the money after 90 days.

Ophelia Wong Zen-man gave $10: "I am from Singapore and I greatly am grateful for your honesty!"

KCTV, the CNN affiliate in Kansas City, talked to Harris on Saturday.

"I like it, but I don't think I deserve it," he said. "What I actually feel like is, 'what has the world come to when a person who returns something that doesn't belong to him and all this happens?'"

Man arrested for impersonating officer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A Florida man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a law enforcement officer during a routine traffic stop, officials said.

Terence Leon Pitts, 28, was stopped for an alleged traffic violation in Clay County, WJXX-TV, Jacksonville, Fla., reported Friday.

A report form the Clay County Sheriff's Office said Pitts was wearing a black "DEA" tee shirt, with khaki utility pants and what appeared to be a "drop leg" holster for a weapon. The deputy who pulled him over asked him to step out of his car and noticed he was also wearing handcuffs in the back of a "duty style" belt, the report said.

When asked for identification, Pitts allegedly patted his pockets and said, " Oh man, I left my ID, my badge and my gun in my locker at the station." The deputy said he asked Pitts who he worked for and Pitts allegedly responded that he was a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The deputy then allegedly asked for Pitts' name and date of birth, to which he allegedly replied "Special Agent Terence Dunbar, April 30, 1984," the report said.

The deputy then placed a call to the DEA to verify Pitts' alleged identity as a field agent, but found there was no information on an officer at the DEA matching the information Pitts allegedly provided.

During a subsequent search of Pitts' car, the deputy found Pitts' wallet with a Florida identification card, but no driver's license. A stun gun was also allegedly found in the center console of Pitts' vehicle, the police report said.

Pitts was arrested on charges of impersonating an officer. He is being held at the Clay County Jail without bond.

Man tries to swallow fake bank notes

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- A man in Abu Dhabi who was allegedly promoting and selling fake bank notes attempted to hide them by swallowing them, United Arab Emirates officials said.

The incident came after the man, an engineer, allegedly consumed snacks he pretended to shop for at a local grocery store in a mall, Gulf News reported.

Video cameras recorded the man, identified as M.A.A., adding items to his shopping cart and then consuming them in the store, Gulf News reported.

He also allegedly hid three cigarette packets in his pockets before leaving.

Security guards caught the suspect after he left the store, Gulf News reported.

Officials discovered he was selling fake bank notes to new immigrants, Gulf News reported.

The case has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.

Boy calls 911 to protest bedtime

BROCKTON, Mass., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A 10-year-old Massachusetts boy got a stern lecture from police after calling 911 because he didn't like his mother's order for an 8 p.m. bedtime.

Dan Davis of Brockton was upset at having to go to bed at his normal time despite not having school the next morning, his mother Shamayne Rosario, 34, told the New York Daily News.

When the boy threatened to call the police, his mother responded by saying "Go ahead!" and Dan showed he wasn't bluffing by dialing 911.

Though he hung up without saying a word, dispatchers called back to check on the situation Wednesday evening. Rosario explained what had happened but under police protocol, a patrol unit was dispatched to confirm she wasn't being forced to lie over the phone.

When officers arrived and found nothing amiss, Rosario asked officers to speak to her son to make it a "learning experience."

After a stern talking-to about what can happen when calling 911 without an emergency, the 10-year-old was sent to bed.

Though he didn't face any legal repercussions, the boy didn't get off scot-free, either. Rosario said her son is grounded for two weeks after the stunt.