Weird News: Was thief's beverage heist for a party of one? – Palm Beach Post
The streets of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast are full of wild, outrageous tales you won’t find on the front page.
Here are the most notable recent reports of folks behaving badly:
Beverage booster: Whether planning to party by himself or with friends, a man loaded his shopping cart with multiple alcoholic beverages at a store in the 300 block of Rosemary Avenue. Selecting both regular and light beers, as well as wine, the variety might’ve suggested he was attempting to appeal to multiple palates and that a get-together would be the call. Either way, he was looking to have his shindig on the cheap because after loading up the approximately $50 worth of beverages, he forgot/decided not to pay and walked out. A police officer who was already at the business was alerted by the manager. Stopped outside, the man said he made a mistake and admitted he “took stuff” and “did not attempt to pay for it.” A records check showed he had multiple convictions for retail theft. He was arrested and taken to jail.
Runner’s outfit: After entering a store in the 600 block of Belvedere Road, a man picked up a few essentials. These included packages of multi-colored socks, shirts and shorts. He then ran out of the store. In his haste, however, he dropped a large portion of what he had intended to steal, but kept on running. Though it’s unclear just how much he did get away with, he dropped over $20 worth of merchandise. The manager was able to give police a detailed description of the essentials-stealing perpetrator.
License-less liability: Driving east on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, a motorist was spotted by police and recognized as a person they had dealt with previously, who had a suspended license. Immediately followed by the officer, the man quickly turned south on Tamarind Avenue, accelerated and turned onto Ninth Street before being pulled over in the 900 block. Asked whether there was anything illegal in the car, the man said there were no guns, but admitted there were drugs saying, “there are some, and that would be … uhh, I’m guessing it would be cocaine.” A piece of crack cocaine was found hidden in a pack of cigarettes and straw was located in the center console. When asked if he normally buys drugs, the man stated “no, but this guy owed me a favor.” He later added that he felt like “partying it up tonight.” He was arrested for driving on a suspended license and for drug possession.
Asleep at the wheel: Located passed out inside a running vehicle in the 2400 block of Okeechobee Boulevard, a motorist proved quite difficult to rouse. Though police banged on his window several times and rescue workers even blasted the fire engine’s horn, sleeping beauty seemed determined to stay in that dream. They finally smashed the window to get to him and make sure he was OK. He was checked out and cleared by the medics. Swaying while standing and with red, glassy eyes, the man stated he was coming from work. With speech that smelled of an alcoholic beverage, he said he’d had one beer approximately five hours earlier. Agreeing to take part in a roadside sobriety test, he had to have the instructions to the tasks explained to him multiple times. At the conclusion of the test he was arrested for DUI. His breath later showed that that one beer must’ve been a high-alcohol content growler, as he was over twice the legal limit.
Sorry spouse, part 1: Following an argument with his wife, an extremely intoxicated man was told to go back into his residence in the 2100 block of Brandywine Road. Rather than that, the man decided to try and pick a fight with a neighbor who just happened to be walking by while police were present. Taking up a fighting stance, the man had his fists up and was ready for drunken battle before his wife stepped in. She began attempting to get him back into their home. Those attempts were met with resistance and he was eventually arrested for disorderly intoxication.
Sorry spouse, part 2: Believing his wife was cheating on him and even catching her blowing a kiss at another individual during church, a man got into a heated argument with her at their residence in the 100 block of Lyman Place. Though the wife seemed to be in the wrong, there was apparently no contrition and she became the aggressor before biting her beloved husband on the arm. She fled the home before police arrived. Pictures were taken of the bite mark and she was charged with battery.
Sonic sparks : Wanting to take the auditory experience inside his vehicle to the next level, a man said he installed a set of subwoofers in the car. Enjoying the sensation of listening to, and actually feeling, the music with a friend, the little party went full hot, hot, hot when one of the new subwoofers caught fire. Though the man grabbed a fire extinguisher and attempted to save his vehicle, it was not happening and the car was soon fully engulfed. Apparently, the car did not want to go alone and was so hot that it managed to cause heavy damage to a vehicle parked alongside it. Though no one was injured, the sonic soirée in the 1100 block of Pine Tree Drive was officially over and pictures were taken of the carnage.
Road rager: Pulling in front of another motorist was enough to elicit a rage response in the 1400 block of West Lantana Road. The man who did the pulling in front said the other motorist drove up next to him and punched his passenger-side mirror. The enraged motorist struck the mirror with enough force to damage it. The man said the angry motorist then got on Interstate 95 and headed north. The man was given a case card.
Fast-food fracas: Attempting to place multiple orders at the drive-through of an eatery in the 1400 block of South Dixie Highway, a man claimed the clerk got upset with him when he could not decide what type of cheese he wanted on one order. The man claimed at this point the clerk began ignoring him. He stated he tried several times to place his order without success when he decided he would walk up to the drive-through window and slide it open. The man said the clerk pulled out a stun gun and that he was scared and fled. The clerk later said the man was being rude and that’s why she refused to take his order. She said when he opened the window, she took out her stun gun and set it on the counter. She denied ever pointing at him. No charges were filed. It was unclear if the man ever got his sandwich.
Missed a report? Find more hilarity here.
No way to drive: Drifting within her lane and even running off the road for a bit, a motorist was pulled over in the 3400 block of Gardens East Drive. Not done with her display of impairment, the motorist nearly ran into a fence while pulling over and then managed to park half on and half off the pavement. With droopy eyelids, a flushed red face and the strong odor of alcoholic beverages on her breath, the woman stated she’d had two intoxicating drinks at a nearby eatery. Asked to exit the car and participate in a roadside sobriety test, the woman complied. Unsteady on her feet, she swayed and stumbled her way through the test and did not pass. She was arrested for DUI. Her breath later showed she was over the legal limit.
Washer wrecker: Five washing machines at a community’s communal laundry room in the 100 block of Cypress Point Drive were the target of vandalism. An unknown perpetrator dumped what appeared to be paint primer into each of the washers, ruining them. A key is required to enter the facility and there was no sign of forced entry. This has led authorities and the property manager to suspect an unhappy resident is responsible. If it was in fact a disgruntled resident, they managed to not just take a shot at the development, but any resident looking to wash their clothes. It will cost approximately $3,000 to replace the washers.
A clean getaway: Looking to stay hydrated and alert, while simultaneously getting hammered and keeping his clothes clean and fresh smelling, a man began loading his cart with merchandise at a store in the 5400 block of Donald Ross Road. Selecting detergent pods, sports drinks, energy drinks and multiple cases of beer, the man completed phase one of his shopping mission. Though for most people, phase two would involve paying for the items, this individual’s phase two bypassed the payment portion: He simply pushed the cart out of the store to his car. He was saving both time and money! The perpetrator loaded his car with the stolen merchandise and then drove away. The entire event was captured on the store’s surveillance cameras. The items were worth nearly $130 and the store said they would prosecute if the thief was captured.
Shoe scheme: After entering a store on US 1, a man and woman set their sights on footwear. Selecting three pairs of high-end shoes designed for casual wear and boating, the devious duo set their plan in motion. While she began chatting up a few employees, the man removed three pairs of shoes from their boxes and concealed two pairs in a bag and stuffed the third down his pants. The pair then left together with nearly $350 worth of footwear. The entire incident was captured by surveillance cameras.
Forgotten phone: Getting gas at a station on US 1, an individual decided the best place to set down a $1,200 cell phone was on top of the pump. What could go wrong? The victim finished getting their gas and drove away having forgotten about the phone. Probably never off their phone (like most people anymore) for more than 30 seconds at a time, they quickly realized they’d forgotten it and went back to the station. The phone was already taken. At the time the clerk was unable to retrieve the surveillance video of the pump area.
Swerve and stop: Traveling north on Interstate 95, a motorist was having difficulty maintaining his lane. In addition, he kept drifting into the emergency lane before aggressively correcting the trajectory. The motorist was pulled over near marker 105. Presenting his Florida Identification Card to the deputy, the man explained that his license was suspended, that he knew it was and that he’d been cited previously for driving on a suspended license. He then further explained that his erratic driving was the result of him texting back and forth with his girlfriend. He was arrested for driving on a suspended license with knowledge. He got a bonus charge of possession of drug paraphernalia when his water pipe or “bong” was found in his vehicle. He was transported to the Martin County Jail.
Restroom reprieve: Exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph and committing multiple driving infractions, a motorist was pulled over near the intersection of Osprey Street and Federal Highway. With glassy eyes and through slurred speech, the motorist said she was coming from a friend’s house. With the stop proceeding into a DUI investigation, the woman asked if she could use a nearby restroom. She was given the go ahead. While the woman was in the process of urinating, she stated “you should just arrest me already due to how many beers I had, that’s why it’s taking me so long to pee.” When she finished emptying her apparently very full bladder, the DUI investigation was completed and she was placed under arrest.
Compiled by Eddie Ritz from area law enforcement records.
