Germany: Woman cries ‘murder’ over car blocking garage
Berlin (AP) – German police say officers called to investigate a murder arrived to find that the woman who had reported it just wanted someone to remove a car blocking her garage. The woman, who wasn’t named, rang emergency dispatchers early Thursday and claimed that her husband had been killed, sending police and first responders rushing to the scene in the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden. German news agency dpa quoted a spokesman for southern Upper Bavaria police, Stefan Sonntag, saying: “The woman thought, if she calls in a murder the police will get there faster.” The woman, who was visibly drunk, attempted to get into her car before officers took away her keys. She can expect a hefty bill and a criminal investigation for misusing the emergency number.
In deceit proposal: Feds say man wed stranger to stay in US
Raleigh, N.C. (AP) – Prosecutors say a couple was panhandling along a North Carolina road when a foreigner pulled over with a proposal for the woman: Marry him so he could stay in the country, and they’d receive $12,000 along with payments for a house and car. Citing court records, The News & Observer reports that 31-year-old Melissa Anne Godshall accepted the offer from 44-year-old Levan Lomtatidze, a native of the country of Georgia. Her boyfriend, 46-year-old Robert Kennerly, served as a witness during the marriage ceremony. The U.S. attorney’s office says all three are now indicted on charges involving marriage fraud. News reports didn’t include comments in their defense.
What goes up: Striker faces long drop after goal celebration
Sapporo, Japan (AP) – Striker Anderson Lopes may be keeping his goal celebrations more down to earth in future. The Brazilian celebrated his second goal of a soccer game in Japan by jumping over advertising boards at the side of the field – totally unaware there was a 3-meter (9-foot) drop on the other side. In footage shared on social media, Lopes was briefly attended to by team officials. He appeared fine, got up and claimed four goals in total at Sapporo Dome as Consadole Sapporo beat Shimizu S-Pulse 5-2 in the J-League on Saturday.
Man linked to $500M art heist to be released from prison
Hartford, Conn. (AP) – A reputed Connecticut mobster who authorities believe is the last surviving person of interest in the largest art heist in history is nearing the end of a four-year prison sentence in an unrelated weapons case. Eighty-two-year-old Robert Gentile is scheduled to be released from the Fort Dix federal prison in New Jersey on March 17. Federal prosecutors have said they believe Gentile has information about the still-unsolved 1990 heist at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Thieves stole an estimated $500 million worth of artwork, including works by Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer. Gentile has denied knowing anything about it. He pleaded guilty in the weapons case stemming from federal agents’ seizure of firearms and ammunition from his Manchester home. He cannot possess firearms as a convicted felon.
German police nab driver over impossible date on license
Berlin (AP) – A driver caught speeding in western Germany got himself into even deeper water when police found his license contained an impossible date. Police said Thursday they pulled over the 56-year-old man driver during speed checks in Dortmund, whereupon he showed officers a Polish license containing the date Aug. 32, 2017. In a statement, police said that “because this date didn’t exist in the Polish calendar either, officers did a bit more research.” They found the car he was driving had been decommissioned months ago. Police seized the car and the “cleverly forged driving license.” The man now faces prosecution for suspected forgery.
Colorado rescuers save moose trapped in window well
Keystone, Colo. (AP) – Rescuers in Colorado hauled a bull moose to safety after it became trapped in a window well. Summit Daily reported Sunday that rescuers first tranquilized the animal Saturday night before attempting a rescue from the five-foot-deep (about 1.5 m) enclosure at a private home about 77 miles (124 km) west of Denver. Authorities say they erected a pulley system to lift the young male weighing between 800 and 1,000 pounds (363 and 454 kg) that may have been trying to avoid snowdrifts by walking close to the house. Colorado Parks and Wildlife personnel, local fire and emergency services and Keystone ski resort employees assisted in the rescue. A parks spokesman says the operation took nearly six hours and included 30 to 35 people. The moose returned to the woods without any injuries.
