"A Series Of Unfortunate Events."

Electronic Appeal

Lee Alaban of Port Macquirie, Australia, used technology to appeal to the conscience of a thief who stole her car. Knowing that her son's cell phone was in the sedan, Ms. Alaban sent text messages to the phone, pleading with the thief to return the car.

"He started apologizing, and I felt I was getting through," she said. He finally abandoned the car and sent her a message that told her where to find it. (He kept the cell phone and some birthday presents that were in the vehicle. A relieved Ms. Alaban sent the thief a final note: "If I ever lock myself out of my car, I'll send you a message."

Hidden down under

Swedish tourist Per Johan Adolfsson tried to smuggle four baby king cobras and four baby boas into Sydney--by hiding them in his pants. His attorney told the Melbourne Herald Sun that Mr. Adolfsson wanted to sell the illegal (in Australia) snakes to pay for an eight day vacation down under. Instead, he faces several weeks in jail.

"It is a bizzare way to spend a holiday," the attorney, Michael Priddis, admitted.

In search of "Minty Fresh"

A Michigan woman arrested for drunk driving didn't get her libations from the corner liquor store--she got them from the oral hygene aisle. Carol Ries, 50, was sentenced to two years' probation after pleading guilty to driving while drunk on...what?...three glasses of Listerine! Authorities suspected Ms. Ries was intoxicated after she rear-ended another car at a red light in January.

Searching her car, police recovered a bottle of the mouthwash, which contains between 21.6 percent and 26.9 percent alcohol, depending on the formula. A breathalyzer test revealed that Ms. Ries's blood alcohol level was .30 percent, more than three times the legal limit.

But she did have fresh breath.

Vanity, vanity

It's not uncommon for someone with a camera to capture criminals on film, but usually the photographers aren't the criminals thamselves. The Reuters news service reports that Michael Merrit, Wendall Mackey, and Darnell Robinson playfully snapped pitures of themselves as they drove around Atlanta in a stolen SUV--and then left the disposable camera in the vehicle. Police used the photos to find them, and late that month a jury convicted them of several crimes.

Fulton County prosecutor Cris Toles didn't claim too much credit for the verdict: "They basically convicted themselves."

-- from World Magazine--