True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

Fighting Bird Kills Owner in Illegal Cockfight in India

By HardBoiledNews Staff

LOTHUNUR, India — A fighting cock with a three-inch blade strapped to its foot killed its owner as it tried to escape his grasp during an illegal cockfight in southern India.

The bird was struggling to break free when the blade slashed the 45-year-old Thanugula Satish’s groin before the fight in the village of Lothunur in India’s southern Telangana state.

He died from blood loss as he was being rushed to a hospital in the rural area, the New Indian Express reported.

Police seized the rooster and held it at a local police station for a day before transferring it to a poultry farm and are now hunting for at least 15 other people who were involved in the illegal event.

Cockfighting has been banned in India since 1960 but the gruesome events are still common in some areas. Many fights occur around the Hindu festival of Sankranti.

Police said the knife was attached to one of the rooster’s legs as it was being prepared for a fight on the grounds of a temple. When the bird tried to escape and Satish tried to catch it and in the ensuing struggle, he was slashed by the blade.

Police called the death a “freak accident.”

The others involved in the event could face charges of manslaughter, illegal betting and hosting a cockfight.

Thousands of roosters die each year during the fights.

Last year, a man died when his rooster’s blade hit him in the neck as he carried the bird to a fight in the south-eastern state of Andhra Pradesh.

Illinois Cops Hunt for Owner of ‘Foul Smelling’ and ‘Belligerent’ Chicken

By HardBoiledNews Staff

SWANSEA, Illinois — That’s one foul bird.

Police in southern Illinois have put out an all points bulletin to find the owner of a gray-feathered fowl that showed up on a resident’s front step and won’t leave.

“Missing chicken. Found 1501 North Illinois. Loud. Belligerent. Non-cooperative. Foul smelling. Won’t leave. If you have lost your chicken, call us,” the Swansea police department posted on its Facebook page.

“Serious police work here folks,” the department was quick to add.

Several commenters noted that the bird was not actually a chicken but a guinea hen, which are known to be noisy and sometimes ill-tempered and territorial.

Pennsylvania Squirrel Hunters Busted for Hunting While High

By HardBoiledNews Staff

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, Pennsylvania — That’s nuts.

Two men who smoked a doobie before heading out to hunt squirrels in western Pennsylvania were busted by game warden for hunting while high.

Douglas Litz, 32, and Bryan Post, 34, both of Williamsport, were arrested after a game warden stumbled upon their minivan parked on state game lands, stinking of weed and with a glass pipe in plain view on the console.

When the men returned to the car with guns in tow, the game warden asked why they too smelled of pot, Poust began to fidget and lit a tobacco cigarette, NorthCentralPA.com reported. 

“Poust stated that they did not have anything,” the warden wrote in his report..

When asked if they’d been around anyone smoking marijuana, the report said that “Litz then looked down at the ground and Poust stated that they had smoked before leaving Litz’s house.”

“Litz stated that yes, they did smoke at his house before they left to go hunting,” the report continued.

A search of the vehicle turned up a blue and white glass pipe, a baggie of marijuana, a box of wrapping papers and a baggie of blue pills believed to be DayQuil.

Each man was charged with hunting under influence of a controlled substance and use and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Homeless Man Who Attacked Tortoise Busted Again After Returning to Finish Job

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Michelangelo is said to be recovering well

EAST SAN JOSE, California — A man who had been arrested for seriously injuring a decades-old tortoise at a California preschool, was busted again after returning to the school holding a brick shortly after being released from jail. 

The director of the Play ‘N’ Learn Preschool in East San Jose chased George Robles off the school’s property just minutes before students were set to arrive Monday morning.

“I was terrified. I saw the guy, the same guy, run out from the side gate,” Yvonne Co told the San Jose Mercury News. “He should not have been released after something like this. That’s insane. What could he do next to anyone else?”

He was picked up several hours later by a police mental health crisis team.

Robles, who is homeless, was busted on Saturday after attacking the tortoise, an African sulcata named Michelangelo, that the preschool acquired from a rescue program four years ago and kept in a large enclosed garden.

Michelangelo underwent surgery Saturday to repair cracks in its shell and remove shards of wood from a fencepost and glass from flood lamps that had been embedded in its flesh. Veterinarians say the nearly 70-year-old tortoise is recovering.

Authorities could not immediately explain why Robles was released so quickly, but county jails have been reluctant to hold as many offenders due to Covid-19 concerns.

Robles has also been charged with burglary for an earlier breakin at the school in which several iPads were stolen.

Oklahoma Legislator Proposes Bill to Establish Bigfoot Hunting Season

By HardBoiledNews Staff

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma — It’s Bigfoot hunting season.

An Oklahoma state legislator has filed legislation to establish an official Bigfoot hunting season as a way to draw tourists.

The bill proposes to have the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Division establish annual dates of the season and set specific hunting licenses and fees.

“Tourism is one of the biggest attractions we have in my House district,” said State Rep. Justin Humphrey, a Republican from Lane, in southeast Oklahoma. “Establishing an actual hunting season and issuing licenses for people who want to hunt Bigfoot will just draw more people to our already beautiful part of the state. It will be a great way for people to enjoy our area and to have some fun.”

Humphrey said he doesn’t want people to actually kill Bigfoot, so he will be working with the state wildlife and tourism departments to craft final language for his bill that specifies only the trapping of Bigfoot. He also hopes to secure at least $25,000 that can be used as a bounty for the first person to trap the creature.

“A lot of people don’t believe in Bigfoot, but a lot of people do,” Humphrey said. “Just like some people like to go deer hunting, while some don’t.”

Humphrey said the town of Honobia, Oklahoma, already has an annual Bigfoot festival each October, so the hunting season ideally would coincide with that.

“Having a license and a tag would give people a way to prove they participated in the hunt,” Humphrey said. “Again, the overall goal is to get people to our area to enjoy the natural beauty and to have a great time, and if they find Bigfoot while they’re at it, well hey, that’s just an even bigger prize.”

Investigators Hunt Animal Who Carved ‘Trump’ On Manatee’s Back

By HardBoiledNews Staff

HOMOSASSA, Florida — Federal wildlife authorities are looking for the animal who carved the word “Trump” into the back of a manatee along Florida’s Gulf Coast.

The injured sea beast was discovered Sunday in the headwaters of the Homosassa River, according to the Citru County Chronicle.

Craig Cavanna, senior officer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that federal officials were investigating who was behind harassing the manatee.

https://youtu.be/5SgRoOf7kJw

He said harassment of a manatee, a sea creature protected by the endangered species act, is a class A, federal criminal offense punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to a year in federal prison.

The West Indian manatee is a slow-moving, warm-blooded mammal, frequently spotted in Florida’s coastal waters. They often seek sanctuary in the spring-fed waters along Citrus County’s coastline where they regularly interact with swimmers and boaters. 

Cavanna said it is uncommon for locals to harass the manatee.

“It’s been my experience that this is very out of character for this community,” Cavanna said. “Wildlife conservation is a core value in Citrus County. That’s why it’s called the Nature Coast.”

Investigators encourage anyone with information to call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC (3922). 

Father and Son Gun Each Other Down in Fight Over Family Dog

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The Cokers were described as a ‘very dysfunctional’ family

WAGARVILLE, Alabama — An Alabama man and his son shot each other dead after getting in a fight over a family dog, which the younger man had killed for trying to attack a child. 

When Kelvin James Coker, 60, discovered his dog had been shot on Saturday, he drove to the home of his 32-year-old son, Kelvin Nicholas Coker, who admitted killing the animal, cops said.

As the argument grew heated, James opened first, striking his son in the torso, cop said.

Nicholas returned fire with a shotgun, hitting his father in the neck. Both men died from their wounds.

The sheriff called the family ‘very dysfunctional.’ 

Chief investigator Blake Richardson of the Washington County Sheriff’s office, told WALA-TV  that the dispute began when Nicholas opened fire on four of the family’s dogs, after one of the animals started attacking his girlfriend’s young daughter.

Moments later, James arrived at his son’s home in his truck and an argument erupted. During the confrontation, Nicholas pointed his shotgun at his father who drew a handgun and shot his son, cops said..

A mortally wounded Nicholas then returned fire and killed his father.

‘It’s unfortunate that they would not value human life not any more than that,’ Richardson said. 

Nicholas’ girlfriend, Ariel Anderson, has disputed the official version of events, claiming that her boyfriend did not kill his father, but rather that James took his own life after killing his son in a fit of anger. 

‘Nic Coker did not kill his daddy and they did not have an argument!!’ she wrote on Facebook. ‘Nic was protecting my daughter from his and his dads pitbulls that were hurting her and his dad just showed up and shot him because he was mad that Nic killed his dog then he shot himself!’

However, investigators have defended their initial findings, saying that the coroner’s unofficial report shows James could not have committed suicide. 

‘I’m very confident that’s how the events unfolded, we try and let the evidence speak for everything and make sure everything is considering with our witness statements and right now we believe that’s the case.’ Richardson told WKRG-TV. 

Sheriff’s officials said they have responded to multiple violent incidents involving the Cokers over the years. In 2012, James was charged with first-degree assault for shooting his other son three times.   

S.C. Man Guns Down 72-Year-Old Woman in Fight Over Feral Cats

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Sean Malahy faces murder charges

LEXINGTON, South Carolina — An argument over feeding feral cats turned deadly when a South Carolina man pulled a gun and shot his 72-year-old neighbor in the face, cops said.

Police in Lexington, South Carolina say the incident unfolded Thursday evening when a friend of 49-year-old Sean Malahy got into a fight with Judy Dyanne Burnett about feeding feral cats behind the Town Square shopping center.

Malahy soon joined in the argument which then turned physical. That led Malahay to pull out a gun and shoot Burnett in the face, cops said. She died while paramedics rushed her to the hospital.

Investigators say Malahy and Burnett had been in an ongoing rivalry for years over who would feed, trap and release the feral cats that live behind businesses in a wooded area along Lexington’s West Main Street.

Malahy was charged with murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime and was held without bail

Tech-Savvy Samaritan Uses Drone to Help Family Find Pup Lost for 10 Days

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Debbie and Gary Morgan were overjoyed to be reunited with Meadow

CAIRO, New York — A lucky puppy that had been lost for over a week was reunited with its owners after a resourceful neighbor tracked her down in the woods by using a drone.

Brian James, of Cairo, New York spotted a notice online about one-year-old Meadow, a Golden Retriever who had disappeared in the woods in nearby Andes, New York. 

“I’m realizing that it might be easy to see her from the air if we find her before snow falls,” James, who is a licensed hiking guide and drone pilot, told ABC News.

So he drove a few miles to where Meadow was last spotted 10 days earlier and put his drone up into the air.

He quickly spotted a patch of white among the trees.

“I was able to get a visual on Meadow from the air,” he said.

He then rushed to the spot where he found the pup, who was uninjured, and reunited her with her family soon afterward.

Meadow’s family was overjoyed to have her back.

“We’re just so grateful for Brian for showing up when he did and being able to rescue her,” said Debbie Morgan. 

James says anybody can pitch in as needed.

“Everybody’s got the capability to help,” he said. “You never know what will come of it.”

Alaska Airlines Plane Hits Bear on Runway During Landing

By HardBoiledNews Staff

YAKUTAT, Alaska — In the struggle of plane versus bear, the bear loses.

A brown bear wandering across an Alaska runway had the misfortune of meeting an Alaska Airlines jet as it came in for landing over the weekend.

The bear was killed and the jet slightly damaged, but not one aboard the plane was hurt, officials said.

The mishap occurred on the airstrip in Yakutat early Saturday evening, when flight No. 66, a  Boeing 737-700, came in for landing and encountered the bear, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

Airport crew had cleared the runway about 10 minutes before the flight was expected to land and had checked for signs of wildlife but hadn’t seen the bear, the state’s Department of Transportation said. 

But as the plane began to slow after landing, the pilots spotted two bears crossing the runway.

“The nose gear missed the bears, but the captain felt an impact on the left side after the bears passed under the plane,” a statement from Alaska Airlines said.

The bear strike dented the plane’s left engine

The plane struck and killed a brown bear sow, but its cub, thought to be about 2 years old, was uninjured.

The pilots saw the “bear lying about 20 feet off the center of the runway,” as the plane taxied to parking just before 6:30 p.m., according to the airline.

None of the passengers or crew members in the plane were injured. It was not immediately clear how many passengers were on the flight. The plane had departed  from Cordova and was headed to the capital, Juneau, next.

Cops Stumped by Rare Tree Theft from U. of Wisconsin Arboretum

By HardBoiledNews Staff

This was all that remained of the targeted tree

MADISON, Wisconsin — Cops are on the lookout for a conifer crook who took off with a giant, rare tree from the University of Wisconsin Arboretum.

The UW-Madison Police Department say that sometime between Nov. 5 and Nov. 9, a rare 25-foot tall Algonquin Pillar Swiss Mountain Pine Tree was cut down and stolen from the UW Arboretum property. 

The tree was located about 30 yards from the arboretum’s main drive. The very rare tree was planted in 1988. Its twin, which had been planted right next to it, was left unharmed. 

The curator of the Arboretum’s Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, David Stevens, told the Wisconsin State Journal that he believes the tree was “most likely taken for a large Christmas tree display.”

“Somebody’s trying to make a buck,” he said. 

“We’re just devastated,” he added. “It feels like somebody broke into your house and stole something precious to you.”

The tree’s twin, on the left, was unharmed

Another large tree nearby – a Compact White Fir which was planted in 1981 – had a 12 foot section cut from the top of the tree. That cut section, however, was left behind, cops said.

The arboretum estimates the cost of the damaged tree and the stolen tree is at least $13,000.

Staffers think the thieves must have used a flatbed truck to get the tree out of the facility so the theft probably occurred late at night.

Police are urging anyone who “witnessed a large tree being transported from this area – or notices a large tree that’s now part of someone’s holiday display,” to call them.

Coral Reef Thief Guilty of Plundering Glow-in-the-Dark Sea Creatures

By HardBoiledNews Staff

SAN SEBASTIAN, Puerto Rico — It was some truly fishy business.

The owner of a saltwater aquarium company in Puerto Rico has pleaded guilty to illegally smuggling protected coral reef marine creatures to customers in the United States.

Federal prosecutors say Luis Joel Vargas Martell would go snorkeling among Puerto Rico’s reefs and use a chisel to pry up a reef creature known as “rics,” “polyps” or “mushrooms” which are popular among home aquarium owners because they glow under ultraviolet light.

As the animals would attach themselves to the reef substrate, Vargas would end up breaking off parts of the coral in his efforts to remove them.

He would then send them to customers in the U.S. claiming they were inanimate objects.In all, prosecutors say Vargas sold $90,000 worth of the animals between 2014 and 2016.

It is illegal to harvest such creatures in Puerto Rico if the specimens are going to be sent off-island or otherwise sold commercially. On multiple occasions, Vargas would accompany his business partner, Raymond Torres, and they would snorkel from the shoreline in search of the animals.

Torres pleaded guilty to similar charges earlier this year. Both await sentencing.

Massive Explosion Destroys 87,000 Smoked Turkeys Ahead of Thanksgiving

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The early morning blaze devastated Greenberg Smoked Turkeys in Tyler, Texas

TYLER, Texas — Not much to be thankful for here.

A fire and massive explosion at a smoked turkey production facility in Texas incinerated 87,000 of the birds just ahead of Thanksgiving, officials said.

Investigators are trying to determine what caused the disaster at the Greenberg Smoked Turkeys Inc. facility in Tyler in the early morning hours on Friday that rattled homes all around the city. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

The company typically sells 200,000 turkeys for Thanksgiving, but says it will be unable to ship any this year due to the destruction at the plant. In 2003, the company’s turkeys landed on Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things” list.

“Both our inventory and our ability to ship this season have been destroyed,” owner Sam Greenberg wrote on the company’s Facebook page. “We are thankful this occurred after hours and no one was injured!” 

He said the blaze was caused by  a mechanical failure in one of the company facilities and caused a freezer holding the 87,000 turkeys to explode. It also burned boxes and bags nearby, which are used to ship hundreds of thousands of turkeys during the company’s busiest season.

Paul Findley, Tyler’s fire marshal told the Dallas Morning News that the heaviest damage was inside a large freezer, which he described as “not just walk-in freezers; they’re drive-in freezers.” He said the room was stacked, front to back, almost to the ceiling, with smoked turkeys in boxes.

Greenberg said while the fire would set the company back, it would not knock them out of business.

“We will rebuild. We will be smoking turkeys in 2021,” he said. “And to hell with 2020.”

$60K Worth Of Exotic Monkeys And Birds Boosted From FL Store

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Dozens of animals flew the coop in the HSL Animal Paradise pet heist

KISSIMMEE, Florida — That was one wild heist.

A central Florida pet store owner is heartbroken after thieves broke into her store and made off with $60,000 worth of exotic animals.

Hilda Matheus, owner of HSL Animal Paradise Pet Store in Kissimmee, says she came to work Friday morning and found her shop had been ransacked.

Among the animals that had flown the coop were a pair of tamarin monkeys and scores of tropical parrots and macaws.

Upon further inspection, she discovered a rear wall to the store had been broken through to let the thieves in. Surveillance video showed a person dressed in dark clothes making their way through the store with a flashlight and opening cages. 

Mathus believes the thief will try to resell the animals, and is devastated. 

“I’m very heartbroken. This is not only my business, these are animals that we truly care for,” she said. “This is animal cruelty. This is something that should not happen. Animals were taken the wrong way, feathers were all over the place. They left a dead bird. This is just heartbreaking. It’s sad, it’s hard.”

Two People Arrested In Alabama Crab Leg Buffet Brawl

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Chequita Jenkins (l) and John Chapman were busted in the crab-driven clash

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — The claws really came out in this one.

Two people were arrested after an argument over crab legs at a Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet boiled over into a full-scale rumble, police said.

“There’s a woman who’s beating a man. People are moving around, plates are shattering everywhere,” Huntsville police officer Gerald Johnson who was eating at the restaurant at the time told WHNT-TV.

He said people had been waiting for up to 20 minutes for more crab legs to be brought out at the Meteor Buffet and that all hell broke out once they arrived, with people accusing each other of cutting the line.

“Everyone was saying, ‘They cut me in line. She cut me in line. He cut me in line. I was here first,'” Johnson said.

He added that people began sparring using the buffet table tongs.

“It’s not something you typically hear, if you can imagine a fencing match,” Johnson said.

Police arrested John Chapman and Chequita Jenkins who was eating at the buffet with her kids.

“They’d been waiting there for the crab legs for a good 10, 20 minutes. When they finally came out, it’s very heated. Especially if someone is taking more than their fair share,” Johnson recounted.

Chapman is facing disorderly conduct, Jenkins is charged with third-degree assault. Both people could end up paying a few hundred dollars in fines, well above the $10.58 per plate charge at Meteor Buffet.

 

Speeding Driver Killed in Collision With Elephant on Thailand Road

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The elephant was unmoved after being hit by the car and then stomped the driver to death

NAKHON RATCHASIMA, Thailand — A speeding driver was killed after he hit an elephant that then stomped his pickup flat, police said.

Officials in northeast Thailand said the vehicle plowed into the wild pachyderm’s hind legs as sun set at the edge of the Khao Yai National Park, police said.

The angry animal then reared up and crushed the vehicle, killing the driver, 58-year-old Nakharin Boonchai, the Bangkok Post reported.

“Elephants don’t come out during the day but they start coming out when it gets dark,” said Lt. Col. Kemchat Paedkaew, of the Thai police. He said up to two people a year are killed by elephants in areas surrounding the park.

The accident happened on Wednesday on a small road with signs telling drivers to be aware of wild animals that sometimes stray from the park. Locals reported that two elephants had been crossing the road at the time and that they tried to warn Boonchai — who was not from the area — to slow down, but he hit the rear animal as darkness fell.

This was all that was left of the truck after the elephant was done with it

Officials tracked the stricken elephant, which was bleeding from one of its legs but still able to walk, and were monitoring its condition.

Reward Offered for Capture Of Gunman Who Shot Dolphin in California

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Officials say a necropsy showed the dolphin had been shot to death

MANHATTAN BEACH, California — A dolphin was found shot dead on a California beach, and an animal rescue group has offered a reward for information leading to the killer.

The dolphin’s remains were found on Manhattan Beach about 20 miles south of Los Angeles, El Segundo-based Marine Animal Rescue wrote on Facebook on Friday.

A necropsy later revealed that the sea mammal had been killed by a gunshot wound, the group said.

“There is NO excuse for such brutality against these beautiful animals,” the group wrote.

The organization said it is offering a reward of $5,000 to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who shot the dolphin.

Earlier this year, authorities say an animal shot and killed a pregnant bottlenose dolphin in Mississippi.

At least 24 dolphins have died as a result of being shot with a gun, an arrow or impaled by some sort of object since 2002, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dolphins are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This prohibits harassing, harming, killing or feeding these animals. Violators can face up to $100,000 in fines and 1 year in jail for each offense.

Cops Apprehend Two Drunk and Disorderly Raccoons in West Virginia

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Turns out the rambunctious raccoons had been hitting the fermented crabapples a bit too hard

MILTON, West Virginia — These critters got drunk as a skunk … well almost.

Police in West Virginia made their strangest drunk and disorderly arrests yet when they picked up two suspected rabid raccoons who turned out just to be drunk.

“Turns out they appear to be drunk on crabapples,” the Milton police department said in a post on its Facebook page.

The masked bandits were apprehended a day apart and in both cases, were later released into the woods unharmed after they’d slept it off. Officers named the second raccoon Dallas.

Cops said residents should exercise caution if their spot wobbly wildlife.

“If you see a staggering and disoriented raccoon please do not approach it. It could be sick so call us and we’ll take care of it,” the department said. “Welcome to Milton Dallas.”

Runaway Elephant Leaves Cops With Big Rescue Job in Tiny New York Town

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Fritha the elephant just wanted to take a little midnight stroll

WESTTOWN, New York — An elephant never forgets … except maybe its way home.

Police in a small town outside of New York City were surprised to receive a call about a plodding pachyderm wandering around the streets late Sunday.

“Never a dull moment in Troop F,” the unit of the New York State Police posted on its Facebook page.

The elephant, a 46-year-old female named Fritha, had escaped from a nearby animal sanctuary where it has lived much of her life. The owners of the Sanctuary for Animals say Fritha hails from Vietnam and came to the U.S. after the Vietnamese War where she suffered burns from a napalm bomb.

The sanctuary says Fritha got away simply because an employee forgot to turn on the electric fence that keeps her in at night.

Other animals at the sanctuary include camels, zebras, horses and cows.

 

78-Year-Old Punches Out Bear in Terrifying Back Yard Attack

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Sonny Pumphrey wasn’t going to take no guff from some bear

WHITE OAK, North Carolina — Really, don’t mess with this guy.

A tough-as-nails 78-year-old punched out a bear that attacked him outside his North Carolina home, suffering only some cuts and bruises before driving the beast off.

Sonny Pumphrey said he was walking down his driveway in White Oak, when the mother beat wandered by with her two cubs. The cubs bolted, but the mother was ready to fight.

“She made a charging dead run at me. That sucker was eyeball-to-eyeball to me,” he told WLOS-TV.

But before it could get to him, Pumphrey says he punched the bear in the nose, casing the creature to duck down and bite his hip.

“She kind of shook me a little bit, and I’m still … I’m hitting her steady on the top of the head just as hard as I could swing, man, for dear life,” he said. “I just continue pounding and pounding and pounding and she’s continuing trying to bite me.

“And like I said, she got a hold of me and then shook me a little bit, then she let go and she took a swat at me. And when she took a swat at me she knocked me about eight feet over on the concrete,” he continued.

Hearing screams, his wife Betty ran outside with their Yorkshire Terrier and was shocked to see her husband trading blows with the angry beast.

“I saw her stand up and rear her paw back and all I seen was a mouthful of teeth,” she said. “And I just knew he was going to be gone.”

But between their dog barking and the two of them yelling, the bear got scared and ran off. Betty then got a shotgun and fired a shot in the woods to make sure the animal didn’t decide to return.

Wildlife officers tracked the bear but were unable to locate it. They say food has been scarce at higher elevations, so bears have been foraging lower.

Pumphrey had to get rabies shots, but was otherwise okay.

“I could have been dead. I could have been really cut up bad,” he said.

“We have a lot to be thankful for because we were both very, very lucky,” Betty said.

4 Hospitalized, Dozens Flee After Pitbull Goes on House Party Rampage

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The prickly pitbull had just been adopted

COLWOOD, Canada — This dog wasn’t in the mood to party.

A Canadian house party ended with four people in the hospital and 13 people having to barricade themselves for safety after a newly-adopted pitbull went berserk, police said.

The pissed off pooch lost its cool after drunken men began rough housing at a British Columbia rager and bumped into the animal, causing it to become aggressive, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said.

Before police could come and restrain the 140-pound beast, 13 people — including children — had to barricade themselves inside a home to get away from the marauding mutt.

Even the dog’s owners sustained serious injuries as they attempted to corral the animal into a bedroom.

Four injured people were taken to hospital for treatment.

One injured and heavily intoxicated man was arrested after removing his shirt and attempting to fight with officers.

Police say the pitbull had been recently adopted by the family as a rescue animal and that a review of the attack and the dog’s history of aggression will be conducted before any decision is made about the animal’s future.

The Ministry of Children and Families were also contacted to review the safety of the children who were at the party but were unharmed in the attack.

 

Drunken Reveler Steals Horse and Nearly Rides Onto Track at Breeders’ Cup

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup narrowly avoided an extra horse in the race

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — And they’re off to jail!

A blustering drunk stumblebum was busted after he climbed onto a horse at Churchill Downs race track and nearly rode on to the track for the Breeders’ Cup.

Cops say Michael Wells-Rody, 24, managed to get into a restricted area on Saturday and rode it out of the tunnel towards the entrance to the track, the Louisville Courier Journal reported.

But before he could get out to the gate, officers spotted him and placed him under arrest

According to the arrest citation, Wells-Rody was “under the influence of alcohol” and was “loud and disorderly” to Churchill Downs staff.

He was charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place and disorderly conduct. He has since been released from Metro Corrections and is scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning.

Michael Wells-Rody

More than 112,000 people attended the Breeders’ Cup World Championships over the weekend, with around 70,000 showing up on Saturday.

Accelerate won the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Elderly Villager Stoned to Death by Rogue Monkeys in India

By HardBoiledNews Staff

The vicious pack of monkeys rained bricks down on the 72-year-old villager

BAGHPAT, India — Monkey see, monkey do, monkey kill!

An elderly villager in India was stoned to death by a pack of furious monkeys who rained bricks down on him from a tree as he collected firewood, authorities said.

Dharampal Singh, 72, was hit on the head and chest by the bricks which the animals had gathered from a nearby dilapidated building. He later died at a hospital.

Family members had filed a formal complaint with police, naming the beasts as Singh’s killers, although, authorities have so far ruled the death an accident.

“Monkeys threw more than 20 bricks at Dharampal on Thursday. He was hit on the head, chest and legs. Thrown from quite a height, the bricks were enough to kill him,” Singh’s brother, Krishnapal Singh, told the Times of India.

“These rogue monkeys are the real culprits and must pay for it. We have written a complaint against the monkeys but police don’t seem to be convinced,” he said.

Villagers say the gang of monkeys have been terrorizing residents for some time, and Singh’s death was not a surprise.

“The attack on Dharampal could be the worst case, but monkeys have made life difficult for villagers here and there doesn’t seem to be any solution in sight,” villager Bheema Kashyap said.

Police say they are aware of the situation, but couldn’t see how it would be possible to charge the creatures with murder.

“How can we register the case against monkeys? This will make us a laughingstock. I don’t think it is a logical demand,” said Officer Chitwan Singh. “We were definitely informed of the bizarre accident and we registered it in our case diary after which a post-mortem was also conducted.”

 

Cow Suit-Wearing Shoplifter Offers to Let Cop Suck Udder to Avoid Arrest

By HardBoiledNews Staff

UDDER MADNESS: Ashley Curry tried to use her teats to get out of a shoplifting bust

PINE BLUFF, Arkansas — Sounds like a case of mad cow disease.

A woman dressed in a black and white cow costume was busted for shoplifting at an Arkansas Walmart and then told the arresting officer he could suck one of the pink udders hanging from the front of her suit.

Pine Bluff police say Ashley Curry, 27, tried to walk off with a pack of Flonase, but was spotted by security officers monitoring the store’s surveillance cameras, because of her not-so inconspicuous outfit, KATV-TV reported.

After being detained, Curry told a cop searching her, that he could “suck a pink cow udder,” as she thrust the nipples dangling from the front of her costume in the officer’s face.

It was unclear if the offer was meant as an insult or a bribe.

Either way, cops charged Curry with shoplifting and resisting arrest.

Balcony Sniper Charged With Cruelly Gunning Down 8-Year-Old’s Pet Pup

By HardBoiledNews Staff

Johansen Concepcion De La Ros is charged with opening fire on Princess from a balcony

DAVIE, Florida  — A heartless Florida teen has been charged with gunning down an 8-year-old girl’s pet chihuahua with a pellet gun from a balcony as her mother took the dog for a walk.

Cops say Johansen Concepcion De La Ros, 19,  took a knee on his pal’s second floor balcony in Davie, Florida on Saturday evening, and opened fire at the 6-pound pooch with a high-powered pellet rifle equipped with a scope.

The pellet passed through Princess’ chest, dealing a fatal wound. The little girl’s mother and her boyfriend heard the dog yelp and noticed blood coming out of its mouth, but didn’t immediately know Princess had been shot.

“We heard the pop, but it didn’t register that someone had shot the dog,” Roshelle Pearson, who bought the Chihuahua pup for her 8-year-old daughter in April, told the Sun-Sentinel.

The woman had just moved with her daughter to Florida from Wisconsin the day before, police said.

As chance would have it, an off-duty cop from Pembroke Pines happened to be walking nearby and saw a man armed with a rifle on the balcony and made the connection. He called 911 and was able to direct officers to the apartment from which De La Ros fired.

Offices found the gun, but De La Ros insisted he had simply been aiming at the water of a nearby lake and had accidentally shot the dog as it walked into his line of fire. His pal, Daniel Alvarez, told a different story.

He said he was on the balcony when De La Ros got down on one knee, looked through the scope and said, “I’m going to shoot the dog,” according to the police report.

Sadly, the dog died within minutes and when officers arrived, they found Pearson covered in blood and holding a small, limp body of a brown and white dog.

At first, Pearson said she didn’t have the heart to tell her daughter that her puppy was gone.

“I told her someone shot her dog and they were trying to save it,” she said. “I wanted her to sleep last night. Today I will tell her that her dog didn’t make it.”

De La Ros was charged with felony cruelty to animals.