Weird Crime: Grieving Widow's Family Accused of Theft

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in the St. Louis area.

(For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.)  Family Fingered Following Funeral Almost $7,000 was reported stolen after a Barnhart woman invited family members over to her house after her husband's funeral on Nov. 10. The victim told officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department that she noticed several items missing after family members left her home. Among the items missing were $600 in cash and several pieces of jewelry, including a man's gold wedding band. Moving Violation A man who enlisted help in moving into a new residence Oct. 22 on River Road, Fenton, ended up as the victim of a theft as one of his helpers drove off in his car with numerous of his personal items. After loading up his personal items …

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Weird Crime: Scammers Aplenty Involving Fake iPads, Fake Money

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in and around the St. Louis area.

(For instant news updates follow Patch on Facebook and Twitter.) Computer Tablet Scam Ends With Man Grabbing $800 From Woman A woman withdrew $800 from an ATM machine after being approached by two men on a QuikTrip parking lot in Hazelwood and said they were selling iPads and other electronic equipment. She led the men to a nearby supermarket where she withdrew $800 from an ATM machine. She then walked back to their car where they told her to take a box from the back of the car that supposedly contained the iPads. Instead, the boxes contained two picture frames that were made to look like iPads and another box that contained a wooden cutting board. Yet another box was filled with bubble wrap and a USB cord. During the transaction, one of …

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Man Helps Himself to Supermarket Chicken After Stuffing Vodka in his Pants

A roundup of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crimes in and around St. Louis.

(Sign up here for the FREE Patch Newsletter, including Breaking News Alerts.) Chicken-Eating Vodka Thief The store security staff at Dierbergs Market, in Arnold, watched a man stuff four bottles of Absolut vodka down his pants Sept. 30 and then walk through the store eating chicken from the deli, according to police. When the man tried to leave the store, the security staff tried to stop him and the man kicked them. He was booked and held. A Man Walks Into a Bar A St. Peters man walked into a sports bar on Jungermann Road Oct. 15 and slugged a complete stranger who was watching television. The victim said he did not know his assailant, had never spoken to him and had never met him before. Six Cars Stolen From Dealership; One Left Behind …

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Weird Crime: Burglary Victim Locked Up; His Stuff Wasn't

A round-up of odd and unusual and off-the-wall crimes in the St. Louis area.

Tools, Motorcycle Stolen While Owner is in Jail An air compressor, generator and Honda motorcycle were among the items stolen from the home of an Imperial man who was locked up in jail when it happened. The thefts reportedly occurred between Sept. 8-10 on Meadow Drive in Imperial. A burglar broke into an unlocked storage building and also nabbed some tools. A burglar kicked in a garage door and broke into a home Sept. 12 in Imperial and ransacked the homeowner's sock drawer, finding $150 in cash. Man Tries to Sell Live Hand Grenade Kirkwood Police Department received an odd surprise when a man turned up with a military issue hand grenade last week. Police said the man, from High Ridge, didn't realize the WWII grenade posed a danger Burglar…

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Weird Crime: Disorderly Man Charged after Beating and Cursing His Vehicle

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crime items from around the St. Louis area.

Ranting and Raving While Intoxicated A 42-year-old Kirkwood man was arrested and charged in municipal court with disorderly conduct  on Sept. 7 in the 10000 block of Manchester Road. Employees of a nearby business called Warson Woods police when the man was observed beating on his vehicle and screaming profanities and racial epithets in the parking lot. The man was intoxicated and apparently upset because he had been involved in an accident in which the vehicle that struck his fled the scene in the city of Glendale several hours earlier. It Makes One Wonder What He Was Planning on Shaving A man recently stole at least 250 razor blade packages valued at $4,100 from three St. Charles County Walmart stores, police said. The packages contained…

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Weird Crime: Thief Steals Van That Needs Tires, Gas.

A round up of recent unusual and odd crimes in the St. Louis area.

Stolen Van Needed Gas, Tires A Ferguson man is facing criminal charges for stealing a van that not only needed gas, but apparently tires as well. He also was charged with stealing eight tires from Dobbs Tire and Auto. Florissant Police said the man stole a 1994 GMC conversion van from a Johnny Londoff Chevrolet lot sometime between July 29 and Aug. 1. The van belonged to an employee at the car dealership. Police said man also broke into Dobbs Tire and Auto, and stole eight tires valued at $1,593. He was identified through surveillance tapes at Dobbs and at a Quik Trip gas station where he bought gas for the van, according to court documents. Man Leaves Behind Hatful of DNA at Burglary Scene A hat left at a burglary scene in 2011 led St. …

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Weird Crime: Man Sells Fake Heroin to Real Cop

A roundup of odd, unusual and off-the wall crimes compiled from police reports around the St. Louis area.

All in the Family  An unidentified 15-year-old used a gun to hold up a gas station in Chesterfield Aug. 26. He was turned in to police by his father, police said. A son asked his mother for some money Aug. 23 in the parking lot of Neighbors Credit Union in Fenton after she had cashed her paycheck. He became upset when she refused to give him any money so he stole the money from her hand and ran off. A 34-year-old St. Peters man was charged with pushing, hitting and kicking his mother Aug. 24, sending her to the hospital for her injuries. His grandmother witnessed the attack. He was charged with third degree domestic assault Unloaded Gun Was Effective Weapon A Webster Groves man held four men at bay who were walking up and down his street …

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Weird Crime: Landlord Threatens Tenants with Shotgun

A roundup of weird, unusual and off-the wall crimes compiled from police reports around the St. Louis area.

When Landlords Go Bad Police arrested an Oakville landlord for assault in the first degree. Police said the man threatened his tenants with a loaded shotgun. One-Car Accident During Theft An Arnold woman reportedly took her parents' 2008 Pontiac G6 July 30 without their permission. In addition to the theft, the woman damaged the overhead garage door frame as she was taking the vehicle. She is wanted on suspicion of vehicle theft and leaving the scene of an accident. Light Crime in Richmond Heights Five juveniles were arrested on suspicion of property destruction July 31 after police said they saw them taking bulbs off of a string of lights on the patio of Maggiano's Little Italy, in Richmond Heights. They were released to their parents. …

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Criminal Minds: Pure Evil Takes a Short Ride, Damaged in the Process

A roundup of odd, unusual and head-scratching crime reports in and around the area.

Pure Evil Takes a Ride In Fenton, But it Was a Short One A woman reported to the sheriff's department that her 2009 custom motorcycle, called Pure Evil, was taken July 3-4 from her driveway on Frontier Trail, Fenton. She told a deputy from the Jfeferson Couny heriff's department that she later saw the motorcycle at the corner of Frontier Trail and Old Gravois Road and that the gas tank, right brake handle, seat and wiring had been damaged. She estimated the damage at $1,200. Deputies canvassed the area to locate possible witnesses, but none were found. Adult Movie Critic Steals Sex Toy After Clerk Denies Refund A Vinita Park man was charged recently with stealing a sex toy from a St. Charles adult video and novelty store. Thomas Charboneau…

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Criminal Minds

Homeowner's Dog May Have Thwarted Burglary

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-beat crime stories around the St. Louis area.

Dog May Have Foiled Home Burglary A homeowner's dog may have scared away a potential burglar who broke into a home Apr. 17 on My Road, High Ridge. The deputy who responded to the burglary call reported that he found the front screen door torn but still secure and the rear door frame was broken near the doorknob. There were pry marks on the door frame and a dead bolt lock had not been secured. Nothing was missing from the home which led to speculation that the homeowner's dog scared the burglar away. The Way Some Play Golf, These are the Same Things A weed eater and golf clubs were reported stolen Apr. 5 on East Lane in South County. Woman Calls Back her Burglary Victim and Offers to Sell Property Back to Him A man who told a sheriff's …

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