News of the Weird: Golf cart escape wasn't up to par – Star Tribune
Los Angeles Police Department cruisers were dispatched in pursuit of a fleeing suspect wanted for assault with a deadly weapon on the evening of Sept. 24, but rather than the typical high-speed chase through bustling streets, officers found themselves following a shirtless and shoeless man in a stolen golf cart, with a dog on his lap. KCAL News reported that the low-speed chase began around 9:10 p.m. and went on for much longer than expected, because of the ineffectiveness of spike strips that police laid out in several failed attempts to stop the suspect. The chase topped out at 19 miles per hour before the suspect pulled into a parking lot around 9:45 p.m. and abandoned the cart and fled on foot, though he continued to carry the pooch. He quickly was detained by police. The man was treated for unknown injuries; his unwitting canine accomplice was returned unharmed to the suspect’s family.
If you’re dealing in illegal drugs, it seems likely that cops are the last people you would want to see. But Eric Thomas, 33, actually called for police assistance on Sept. 22 in Largo, Fla., when someone stole $10 from him while he was attempting to sell marijuana on the street. The Smoking Gun reported that the cops were inclined to believe Thomas’ story because he was holding 11 baggies of marijuana, totaling 40 grams. Thomas, who has been convicted of marijuana, cocaine and battery counts in the past year, was charged with two drug felonies and booked into the county jail. The thief who stole Thomas’ $10 apparently remains at large.
An armed gunman is accused of stealing a taco at a Missouri restaurant. On Sept. 8, Antonio Murray Jr., 19, approached an employee at Lilly’s Panaderia in St. Louis, pointed a gun and demanded the taco the employee was in the process of making. The employee handed over the taco, and Murray ran out of the restaurant. KSDK-5 reported that police located Murray nearby, and that when confronted, he informed them he was carrying a BB gun in his waistband. Murray admitted to the incident and has been charged with one count of first-degree robbery.
What would you do if you tried to check into a hotel and no employees were to be found? Three friends found themselves in such a predicament at a Nashville La Quinta Inn & Suites, so instead of checking in, they moved behind the lobby counter and managed the hotel for several hours on their own. They greeted customers, took phone reservations and even served breakfast to guests. “So, instantly we’re like manager mode. We run businesses back home,” one of the friends explained. “Manager mode kicks in: All right, let’s see what we can do.” A manager eventually arrived and gave the trio a room key so they could finally check in, but upon entering the room, they found that it already was occupied. Exasperated, they reached out to a different hotel and were awarded three suites and a free breakfast.
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