My Personal Encounter

I write about people I read about in news articles but last week, I actually had my own personal encounter with a dumb criminal.

Last Thursday, around 4pm, I had some time to kill before work so I decided to go to Jamba Juice.  As I pull in and park, I watch a guy, probably in his late teens to mid 20's, come running out of Jamba Juice holding two tip jars full of cash and coins and jump into a waiting car with the door open.  I sat there for a second thinking, "Really, dude? Are you serious right now? In broad daylight?" So, I quickly wrote down the license plate number before they were out of my sight and called the police department's non emergency number and gave them all the information I could.  As I was on the phone with them, I could see some of the workers talking and come outside looking around for the guy.

At the time, there was about six other people around who saw this happen and not one of them did anything or called police except me.  I get it.  He probably wanted the money for drugs and probably only got about $20 but still.  Those people are working hard for that money.  I don't care how much it is, that is their earned dollars.  And if this guy does it there, how many other places is he doing it?  I work in a restaurant and I have to worry every night about being robbed as I walk to my car.  This guy robbed them in broad daylight.  I posted my encounter on Facebook and other people were telling me how someone is going around stealing tip jars from all the Starbucks in town.  Honestly, it's probably the same person.  This is someone who, instead of bettering themselves and getting a job and earning his own money, is going around taking money from people who are actually working  for it.  It's pathetic and disgraceful.

After I got off the phone, I went inside.  I told them how I saw the whole thing, got the license plate number, and have already called the cops for them.  They thanked me.  Then I ordered my Jamba Juice, paid for it, and while I waited the lady told her manager who also thanked me.  I grabbed my smoothie when it was ready and headed off to work.

The officer on the case called me that night to get my statement and said there was someone in custody.  He also said they were going by the house the car was registered under so they could arrest the driver too.  When I asked how much he got, I couldn't help but laugh.  "Around $15." Wow.  You are gonna have a misdemeanor charge for theft on your record because of $15.  You are gonna start yourself a rap sheet over $15 and chances are, that is not the first time.

It amazes me how some people don't want better for themselves.  They do dumb stuff like this and make it harder for themselves to get jobs and be successful.  It turns into a cycle.  Can't get a job->steal money->get arrested and charged for stealing->can't get a job because of a theft conviction->steal more money and bigger items and so on and so forth. Pretty sad.

It also amazes me that all those people witnessed this and I was the only one who did something. That's not right.  If something like this happened to them they would be hoping someone would help/do something.  Again, I don't care how little the amount of money is or how petty the crime is, someone is affected by it.  You never know how bad someone needs even the littlest amount they are working hard for.

Don't ever underestimate the value of something to someone.

Man Doesn't Log Out of Facebook at the Home He Burglarized

In Minnesota, a 26-year-old man broke into a home and burglarized it.  While there, he decided to log onto his Facebook and didn't log off before leaving.  The owner of the home returned to find his house ransacked and things stolen but also some of the thief's personal items had been left.  Then he noticed the thief had left his Facebook page up. The homeowner posted on the guy's page and even put his phone number for anyone to contact him.  The THIEF texted him and agreed to exchange a stolen cell phone for his belongings.  When the homeowner was on his way home from a friend's, he noticed the thief (from his Facebook page) and called police.  He was even wearing the watch he had stolen from the homeowner when he was arrested.


Ummmmm.....He's a special kind of stupid isn't he?

"I'm just gonna steal a few things here....Oh you know what let me check Facebook real quick before I leave."
What kind of criminal takes the time to look at Facebook while committing a crime?!  And then doesn't think to log off so no one knows he was there?!  My favorite part of this is when the homeowner posted on the guy's page, it was the THIEF who contacted him! And that he actually believed he was going to give him his stuff he left for a recycled cell phone he stole from the guy. AND he was wearing the watch he stole from the guy when he was arrested!

Seriously??  I'm just having a hard time understanding why he felt the need to check Facebook while burglarizing a home.  I've heard of (and done myself) checking Facebook during odd times but never in the midst of a crime. That just makes me shake my head and laugh.  Even an attorney made a comment about this "making the late night talk shows" because it's that dumb.

Then to go meet up with the guy.  "Hey man, I stole a bunch of stuff from your house.  I'm not giving any of it back, like this sweet watch here, but if you could just give me the stuff I left, that'd be great.  No hard feelings right?" Haha c'mon man!  How dumb are you really?  Then again, he was dumb enough to rob someone's house.

Facebook is definitely not dumb person proof.  Seems like dumb criminals are getting caught because of it more often.  Just like the guy who shared his own wanted poster on Facebook.  These people are definitely special.

Facebook.  Catching Dumb Criminals Since 2006.

Man Shares His Own Wanted Poster On Facebook

A Pennsylvania man was wanted on assault charges and had been evading police since November.  He was captured recently by his own doing.  The Freeland Police Department posted on Facebook the man's picture, information, what he's wanted for, and the department's number for anyone with information on his whereabouts.  Well, the man, Anthony James Lescowitch Jr, found it humorous and shared it on his own Facebook wall with the caption, "I f***** love it, A**HOLE."  Police saw this and then posed as a woman wanting to get a drink at a specific location.  Needless to say, he was arrested 45 minutes later.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! So in case any of you didn't already know this, Facebook tells you when someone shares anything you post.  If I was the arresting officer, I would have said, "No, I f****** love it.  Thanks for making my job so much easier."  People really are stupid when it comes to social media.  Wow.

He didn't find it oddly suspicious a woman suddenly wanted to go out with him shortly after sharing that?  He probably thought, "Hey, she must be into bad boys" while police were thinking, "Ha! He bought it!  What an idiot.  Let's go arrest him already."  And I just love how they posted an update on his picture right after.  Classic!

My recommendation...if you are evading police, stay off Facebook.  You know, sharing something from the police department's Facebook probably isn't the smartest idea.

Man Demands A Job Application...With A Gun

In Virginia, a 31-year-old man walked into a McDonald's and asked for an application.  After the manager explained, more than once, that the application process is handled online, the man flashed a gun and demanded an application.  The manager went to his office, found an application to give him and contacted police.  As he filled out the application, police arrived and arrested him.

Did he honestly think that threatening the manager would help him get a job there?  I understand times are tough but come on man! First, there's the lady who steals tips from the tip jar of a restaurant she's applying to and now a man flashes a gun to get an application.  What is going on in their twisted heads?

Let's just say for arguments sake, the man didn't have access to a computer or the internet.  Well, he could have gone to a library or even the unemployment office.  They both have computers available for people to use so they can apply for jobs.  Go figure!

I will say though, that is a problem with job hunting these days.  Everything is handled online.  The old fashioned ways that our parents searched for jobs isn't the way it's done anymore.  It sucks but that's the way it is.  Times are a changin'. We just have to adapt and do it the way the companies want it to be done.  For people without access to the internet or computers, it's unfortunate but there are places for them to go to get that access.  But most of those people probably don't know that.  And flashing a gun at the manager and demanding a paper application, isn't going to help you.  Any chance he had at that job went out the window at bullet speed the moment he lifted his shirt and showed his gun (Ha! Like what I did there?).

At least he doesn't have to worry about finding a job now.

Woman Applies for Job, Then Steals Money

In Delaware, a woman walked into a Five Guys restaurant, applied for a job, then stole $15 from two tip jars!  Surveillance video and her application resulted in her arrest.

Wow.

What is going on in her head?!  "I'm going to apply for a job here and oh look at that money just sitting out in the open.  They won't notice if I take some of it.  I need money to get home anyway." There goes her chances to get a job there or anywhere really.  There has to be a name for this special group of people of this intelligence (or lack thereof).

She ended up pleading guilty to theft and got one-year probation and has to pay a $500 fine and court costs.

And for what?  $15.  Fifteen bucks and no job.

Man Steals Truck To Make It To His Court Hearing....For Stealing a Car

21-year-old Michael Heller, from Redding, needed a ride to his court hearing for stealing a car.  Apparently, instead of finding a ride or using public transportation, he decided to steal a truck in order to get there.  The owner of the truck had been working on it when Heller just got in and drove away.

So....

Let me get this straight....

You get arrested and charged for stealing a car.  Your court date has arrived.  You have no ride there and, for the sake of argument, let's say you have no money to take the bus.  So the only logical thing you can think of is to just steal another car so you can make it to court.

Right.  Because that's what any normal person would do.

I just have to ask....how are you going to steal a car to go to court for stealing another car!?  No lessoned learned there!  Did he really think they wouldn't charge him again?  "I'm already being charged for stealing a car, they can't charge me again."  Seriously?

I understand being desperate and you feel stuck because you have absolutely no way of getting where you need to be but there is always a way.  A LEGAL way.  I'm sure he could of scrounged up a dollar or so needed for the bus.  Or even call his public defender to say he has no way of getting there and what should he do.  There's always a way to work things out.

The smart thing to do would have been to plan ahead.  It really amazes me how dumb people are.  Then again, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have this blog.

British Girls Dress Up As BURNING Twin Towers

On Halloween, two British students, Amber Langford and Annie Collinge, dressed up as the 9/11 Twin Towers.  And to make matters worse, they dressed up as the burning Twin Towers.  If that isn't bad enough, they entered a costume contest....and won.

How. Absolutely. Disrespectful.

Now, I'm all about freedom of expression (granted these girls aren't from the US) and I think too many people get offended over very minor things, BUT there are lines that should never be crossed.  Dressing up as an icon from a horrific event where thousands of people lost their lives and forever changed the United States is definitely one of those lines.  Especially on a holiday known for skimpy, gory, bloody, and humorous costumes.

What was going through these girls' heads is beyond me.  They released a statement apologizing after all the backlash stating their intent was to "depict a modern day horror that happened in our lifetime and not intended as a joke" but in my opinion, they went too far.  Why would you want to depict a modern day horror anyway?  Why couldn't they just dress up in normal costumes like everyone else?  A serial killer, a zombie, sailor, movie character, etc.  I mean I understand wanting to stand out and win but there are better, more tasteful ways to do that.

THOUSANDS of peoples' lives were forever changed inside those towers and to dress up and mock the towers is mocking those people as well.  Almost like adding salt to a wound that's been slowly healing but now ripped back open.

The nightclub, Rosie's, not only let the girls in like that, but also awarded them the first place prize, also got a lot of backlash from this. The company that runs the nightclub had to issue an apology and launch an investigation.  From reading some angry people's tweets, it seems the bouncers had denied people entry for a lot less but had no problem allowing the girls to enter dressed in that manner.

I get it.  It wasn't their country attacked and their civilians killed, but it was still a major historic event that should be respected.  You don't see Americans dressing up as Jews in concentration camps, Mexican drug cartels, or Lord's Resistance Army members from Africa.  So why would it be okay to dress up as buildings that were attacked by terrorists, collapsed, and killed so many people? And who was the Einstein that allowed them to WIN a costume contest dressed like that?!

The girls aren't the only "bad guys" here.  Everyone involved with the contest is at fault too, just in a different way.  I hope these girls realize the extent of their disrespect.

In reality, they viewed this as something innocent until people got angry at them.  It was only then that they were sorry.  I'm sure they weren't that sorry after winning money.

Let this be a lesson learned ladies.