WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Authorities in North Carolina say a store owner and a patron thwarted a teen accused of trying to carry out a robbery by concealing a banana beneath his shirt to resemble a gun.
Winston-Salem authorities said 17-year-old John Szwalla entered the Internet cafe on Thursday and demanded money, saying he had a gun.
The owner, Bobby Ray Mabe, said he and a customer jumped Szwalla, holding him until deputies arrived. While they waited, Mabe said, the teen ate the banana.
Mabe said deputies took pictures of the peel. Forsyth County Sheriff’s office spokesman Maj. Brad Stanley said deputies joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence.
Szwalla faces a charge of attempted armed robbery.
London couple’s search for perfect cat ends in Michigan
A British couple traveled nearly 4,000 miles from London to Michigan last week to adopt a kitten they found on a pet adoption Web site.
Rose and Chris Rasmussen arrived Tuesday in Harrison to adopt Sparky the cat from the Clare County Animal Shelter. The couple said the cat resembles a beloved cat of theirs who had died.
They said they wanted to experience the adventure of traveling to fetch the cat in person. Their other option was to ship him to London.
Clare County Animal Control Director Dave Gendregske said Sparky’s worth the trip because of his “dynamic personality.”
The cat will have to be quarantined for six months once he gets to London.
Police shoot stuffed animal with stun gun
The fluff was flying when police in suburban Detroit zapped a large stuffed cat with a stun gun while responding to an emergency call about a cougar on the loose.
Last week, a 911 caller reported seeing what looked like a cougar inside a piece of discarded drain pipe in Warren. Police zapped the cat with an electronic weapon, but they wound up with a bunch of fluff.
The Detroit Free Press reported that the stuffed animal was apparently placed in the pipe as a hoax.
The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens reports the caller said it was a 150-pound cat.
About 10 officers responded to the cat call.
Toddler is fine after falling 30 feet from window
New York City officials say a 2½-year-old boy survived a 30-foot fall from a third-floor window with just a few cuts and bruises. The boy fell out of an apartment building in the Bronx on Saturday.
He was rushed to a hospital, but fire officials say he didn’t break any bones.
Police say the fall appears to be an accident.
Associated Press
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