Hard Boiled News

True Crime and News of the Weird from around the Globe

In Encounter of Elk Vs. Plane, the Plane Won — Barely

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The plane got the best of the elk, but not by much

NEHALEM BAY STATE PARK, Oregon —  A small plane landing on a remote airstrip on the Oregon coast was nearly destroyed when it slammed into two elk on the runway, killing both creatures.

Oregon State Police say Todd William Rudberg, 49, of Shoreline, Washington, had touched down Saturday at the Nehalem Bay State Park when an elk darted out onto the runway.

Rudberg sped up and attempted to lift his 2003 Vans Aircraft Model RV8, single engine, fixed wing plane back into the sky and over the elk, but clipped the creature with his propeller and right landing gear, killing it.

Then, police say a second elk ran out into Rudberg’s path and was struck by the plane’s left wing. The animal was also killed.

The plane spun out on the runway and was completely destroyed, but neither Rudberg or his passenger, Valerie Villacin, 43, of Seattle, were injured.

Police say that a large quantity of elk meat was salvaged by responding fish and wildlife troopers.

Curious Pup Uncovers Major Heroin Stash Buried in Oregon Backyard

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Kenyon was just acting on instinct when he dug up a giant stash of dope

McMINNVILLE, Oregon — Good dog.

An inquisitive pooch with a penchant for digging in the dirt, uncovered a curious container in his family’s backyard that turned out to contain an $85,000 stash of black tar heroin, police said.

The Yamhill County Sheriff’s office in Oregon says Kenyon, the very good 18-month-old Golden Retriever pulled up a mysterious black tube-like container from the yard in early August.

At first his family — who asked not to be identified publicly — thought it might contain a time capsule of some sort, so videotaped themselves opening it.

But when they cracked the container open, they discovered a black, tar-like substance which appeared could be drugs. They called police who determined it was, in fact, 15 ounces of black tar heroin.

For his good work, police named Kenyon an honorary narcotics K-9 for life.

“Opioid addiction and overdose deaths are on the rise and with the help of Kenyon this large quantity of heroin is removed from our community,” said Sheriff Tim Svenson.

 

Blood-Soaked Man Carrying Mom’s Severed Head Stabs Oregon Grocery Clerk

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Joshua Lee Webb

ESTACADA, Oregon — A blood-covered lunatic carrying his mother’s severed head was arrested after walking into Oregon grocery store and stabbing a clerk, police said.

The Clackamas County Sheriff’s office said Joshua Lee Webb, 36, was taken into custody on Mother’s Day after being subdued by other workers at at the Harvest Market Thriftway in Estacada.

Investigators later determined that the head belonged to Webb’s mother, Tina Marie Webb, 59, who was found dead at her home in nearby Colton, Oregon.

Police said the gory sequence of events came to an end when Webb stabbed 66-year-old grocery clerk, David Wagner, before being tackled by other employees. Wagner is expected to live, police said.

Cops said Webb appeared catatonic as he was placed under arrest and didn’t say a word.

Webb’s father, David Webb, said his son lived at home and was on social security as he and had problems with his eyesight.

“I never foresaw a problem. If I had I would have stopped it,” David Webb told The Associated Press. “I just can’t believe I lost my wife and son in one day. … I don’t know. I wish I did. I wish I had some answers, but I don’t. I waited all my life to retire with my wife, and now I can’t. That’s all I know.”

Portland-Hating Perv Busted ‘Masturbating Vigorously’ in Public

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PORTLAND, Oregon — Perhaps it’s time to move.

Oregon police say they busted a man they found “masturbating vigorously” outside a Portland center for homeless youth and when they asked why, he said it was because he: “f—ing hates Portland.”

Cops found Terry Lee Andreassen, 59, after receiving calls about public indecency at the building. When they arrived they found Andreassen, “with his erect penis exposed to the public,” according to a criminal complaint.

When Andreassen spotted the officers, he “put his penis back in his pants and began to walk away.”

After cops stopped him, they asked Andreassen why he was masturbating in public and he replied that he was high on meth and wanted to go back to prison, because he “f–ing hates Portland,” according to the Oregonian.

Andreassen has a propensity for public lewdness and has convictions for public indecency going back to at least 2001.

 

In 2014, he was convicted of laying a sidewalk outside a Portland bar two nights in a row, while  “stroking his penis outside of his pants” as he was “staring at several females in the bar that were standing in line.”

Man Charged With Setting Stranger on Fire in Oregon Denny’s

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Deshaun Swanger was caught on surveillance cameras looking around calmly before the brutal attack

HAPPY VALLEY, Oregon — Police have charged a 24-year-old Oregon man with brutally dousing a stranger with gasoline and setting him on fire as he sipped his coffee in a Denny’s restaurant.

Deshaun James Swanger allegedly walked into the restaurant Wednesday morning and took a seat in a booth adjacent to the 69-year-old victim, Scott Ranstrom. Swanger then threw the flammable liquid on Ranstrom followed by a match, setting him on fire, cops said.

 

Swanger fled the scene but was captured by surveillance cameras. Ranstrom suffered burns to his head and upper body and was hospitalized in critical condition. Relatives say he has suffered “disfiguring trauma” that is “life changing both physically and emotionally.”

 

“I went to see him and I thought, ‘It wouldn’t be that bad, could it?’ No, it’s worse,” Ranstrom’s sister Leslie Kurtz told KOIN-TV. “He’s in critical condition… it’s horrible. Whoever did this is horrible.”

Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies caught up with Swanger late Thursday at a transitional home just blocks from the restaurant following a tip from a housemate who saw Swanger’s picture on the news, KGW-TV reported.

Scott Ranstrom often went to the Denny’s to drink coffee and surf the internet, relatives say

Swanger, who has prior arrests for robbery, burglary and assault, was charged with aggravated attempted murder and held on $500,000 bail.

Investigators say there is no indication that Swanger knew Ranstrom and that the crime appeared random.

Cops are investigating whether the assault was connected to a similar incident earlier in the week in which an unidentified man appeared to throw liquid and lit matches on another man in a movie theater during a showing of “The Fate of the Furious.” No one was hurt.

In a statement, Denny’s officials said they were “deeply disturbed by the senseless, random act of violence.”

Hero K-9 Cop Scores Hat Trick, Nabbing Three Suspects in 90 Minutes

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Spencer made quick work of these three suspects

CLACKAMAS, Oregon — Give that dog a treat!

An extremely busy police dog is being credited with a high-speed hat trick — nabbing three separate suspects in the span of just 90 minutes, cops in Oregon say.

Spencer, a 9-year-old Dutch shepherd who works for the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office began his eventful day around 10:20 a.m. Sunday morning when he tracked and captured stolen vehicle suspect Austin Kollas as he tried to get away from cops.

Just over an hour later, Spencer sprang into action again, tracking down parole violation suspect Timothy Elmore as he tried to hide from police inside a trailer.

And less than 10 minutes after that, Spencer played hero once again, chasing down Lonette Denison, who had warrants for her arrest on theft and drug charges and tried to get away from police by hiding in a thick holly bush.

“It’s a rare feat for a Sheriff’s Office K9 to get that number of captures in such a short time frame,” said Spencer’s veteran handler, Sgt. Don Boone. “For Spencer and I, that was a new record — three in 90 minutes.”

Spencer has been on the force for six years.

 

Tinder Date Gone Awry Leaves Man Robbed and Naked in Motel Room

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SPRINGFIELD, Oregon — Here is a true case of looking for love in all the wrong places.

An Oregon man was robbed and left nude in a local motel where he had gone to meet a woman he had met on Tinder for a tryst.

The man, who was not identified, told cops that he had met a woman named “Lacey” two months earlier using the dating app and had finally arranged to meet up in person at the Village Inn in Springfield on Tuesday.

According to the Register-Guard newspaper in Eugene, “Lacey” told the man to wait in the room with the door unlocked as she would arrive shortly.

While he waited, he decided to take a shower, and when he came out he found all his belongings — including his wallet and all his clothes — had disappeared. Buck naked and embarrassed, the man then called police to report the romantic interlude-turned- robbery.

Unfortunately, he didn’t know “Lacey’s” last name and when he went to show investigators her Tinder profile, it had been deleted.

He did have some photos of a thin, blond woman with blue eyes he had downloaded to his phone, which he showed to cops, and a phone number which investigators say they will use to try to track down whoever was responsible for the theft of the man’s belongings.

Man Busted for Threatening Wife with Spiked Bat Called the ‘Clown Tickler’

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Matija Belavic called this brutal looking thing the ‘clown tickler’

CORNELIUS, Oregon — An Oregon father was busted for threatening his wife with a nail-spiked bat he dubbed the “clown tickler.”

Matija Belavic, 31, told cops he created the medieval-looking weapon to protect his children amid the outbreak of menacing clown sightings across the country last year.

Matija Belavic was held on $2,500 bond

He was arrested on Saturday after allegedly threatening his wife with the bat which has 8-inch long nails sticking out of its business end.

When Washington County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the home, Belavic had left, but they soon found him walking the streets nearby. Police suspect alcohol may have played a role in the incident, the Oregonian reported.

Belavic told investigators that he had crafted the weapon last October to help calm his kids amid the nationwide panic over people dressed as evil clowns. Detectives said he described it as his “clown tickler.”

The device has seven large spikes jutting out of it at various angles.

Belavic was charged with menacing and held on $2,500 bond, jail records show.

Man Uses Force to Escape Theater After Falling Asleep During ‘Rogue One’

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‘Rogue One’ wasn’t very captivating for one theater-goer who needed to police to free him from the cinema after he fell asleep

 

CORNELIUS, Oregon — Help me Oregon police, you’re my only hope.

A Star Wars fan had to call police for help when he found himself trapped in a movie theater in Oregon after falling asleep during a screening of “Rogue One.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s office says the man had gone to see a late showing of the film on Christmas Eve and woke up at 1 a.m. in an empty theater, KATU-TV reported. The cinema had closed and the doors were locked so he could find no way out.

As he stumbled into the lobby, he triggered a motion sensor alarm and then called 911 for help. Cops were able to free him through an emergency exit.

Officials say they don’t think the man had any ill intent, it was more a matter of the cinema workers failing to do a check of their theaters before closing time.

 

No, He Wasn’t Convicted of Piracy

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Craig Buckner is the one being booked, not the bird

Craig Buckner is the one being booked, not the bird

HILLSBORO, Oregon — He’s lucky he doesn’t face a sentence of keelhauling.

An Oregon bird lover ending up having to pose for a mugshot with his trusty macaw perched on his shoulder after showing up at court with his companion and unexpectedly getting arrested.

The Washington County Sheriff’s office says Craig Buckner came to court with the 4-year-old bird, which is simply named “Bird,” and told it to wait in a tree outside while he went in to deal with some business.

But officials say he fell asleep inside and missed his court appearance leading officials to conduct a urine test which Buckner failed.

A friend came to collect the bird while Buckner was taken to jail

A friend came to collect the bird while Buckner was taken to jail

Mr. Buckner had not expected to be at the courthouse long,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “When he was taken into custody on his court case and was very concerned for the well-being of his companion animal.”

Officials said the bird w”was very well trained and would not leave the tree for anyone other than Mr. Buckner,” so court deputies allowed him to retrieve his pet and bring him inside while he was being booked.

He eventually got hold of a friend who came to take “Bird” home, while Mr. Buckner went to jail.

“Our Sheriff’s Office has very strong core values of doing the right thing,” said Deputy Shoana McKelvey. “Mr. Buckner was already in a stressful position and did not need the additional stress and worry of his loved pet.”