Social Rupture

A farewell to Blogspot

2010-10-12T02:29:00.000-07:00

After having Social Rupture up on Blogspot for probably far too long, I've decided to move it to Tumblr, as the interface is far more intuitive and it generally runs a lot quicker for me. Besides, it's totally in vogue right now and let's face it, Blogspot is soooo 2008.

Anyways, the new address is http://socialrupture.tumblr.com -- So update your bookmarks and start following Social Rupture on there if you so desire.

This Blogspot will probably stick around for a while so people can update their bookmarks or whatever, but I'll probably stick in an HTML redirect code to point this site to Tumblr in a few weeks or so.

Thanks for keeping up with the blog.

Pigs found guilty of murder in Alexandros Grigoropoulos case -- Greece

2010-10-11T02:57:00.001-07:00

A few minutes ago the court in the remote town of Amfissa reached a verdict for the two murderers of Alexandros; both have been found guilty. Korkoneas was actually found guilty for charges even heavier than the original (manslaughter with possible malice turned into manslaughter with direct malice). The course decided not to recognise any mitigating factors for Korkoneas.

Saraliotis, the second cop, was also found guilty for accomplice to the manslaughter. At this moment the court is deciding whether to recognise any mitigating factors for him.

More info as it comes.

http://www.occupiedlondon.org/blog/2010/10/11/389-both-policemen-murderers-of-alexandros-grigoropoulos-have-been-found-guilty/

Riot results in 100 arrests, torched cop car -- Johannesburg, South Africa

2010-10-11T02:54:00.001-07:00

About 100 people were arrested during a riot on Tuesday at the Lion Park informal settlement, which involved the torching of a metro police vehicle and the firing of rubber bullets on Tuesday.

Metro police spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said that her colleagues were monitoring the protest, just off Malibongwe Drive, north west of Johannesburg, when one of their vehicles was burnt out.

Metro police called for back up and more policemen arrived. Rubber bullets were used to disperse the crowd and the arrests were made.

Those arrested were taken to the Honeydew police station in preparation for charges of public violence, arson and damage to council property.

The latter charge relates to items like notebooks, rain coats and reflective glasses that were destroyed when the car was torched.

A wallet with bank cards was also lost in the fire.

"The situation now is very quiet after most of the protesters were arrested," said Mamonyane.

She said that a group called Itsoseng Community had applied for permission to protest, saying they would be at the local football field where they were going to wait for the office of the premier to receive a memorandum relating to service delivery.

There were no injuries, to Mamonyane's knowledge.

Comment from a group representative was not immediately available.

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/100-arrested-in-Joburg-riot-20101005

Railway lines damaged after theft -- Selby, England

2010-10-11T02:51:00.001-07:00

POLICE are hunting for thieves who stole metal cable from a railway line in Selby causing £100,000 damage.

The thieves risked life and limb to steal high-voltage electricity cables the railway line near to Hambleton South Junction in Selby, say police.

PC Jacqueline Wilson, the investigating officer, said that 180 metres of cable was stolen, but that nearly 1,000 metres will need to be replaced as a result.

"The act of stealing cable is extremely dangerous and we want to hear from anyone with any information about this incident,” she said.

"What the thieves don't realise is that they are working on live cable, carrying up to 25,000 volts, which can cause extensive burns. By attempting to steal it they are seriously putting their lives at risk.”

The damage the railway line near to Hambleton South Junction in Selby was discovered by Network Rail engineers on Wednesday September 22, who reported the damage to police.

PC Wilson said there has been a soaring rise in copper thefts in the past year, fuelled by increasing commodity prices, and said cable and metal theft is a constant issue for British Transport Police.

"Officers visit scrap yards to monitor goods which are brought in to quickly identify stolen cable as many thieves look to make money by selling their material on,” she said.

"We have also increased surveillance and patrols in problematic areas and hot-spots as well as fitting covert cameras to film the thieves at work and bring them to justice."

Network Rail said that as soon as a cable was cut, trains had to stop for safety reasons and it could be several hours before services could be resumed, meaning a a major impact on its performance and a constant drain on resources.

http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8440823.Cable_thieves_cause___100_000_damage_to_Selby_railway_line/?ref=rss

RAAN Makes smash on Democratic Campaign HQ -- Modesto, CA

2010-10-11T02:49:00.001-07:00

Modesto police are looking into whether vandalism at the Stanislaus County Democratic Campaign Headquarters over the weekend was politically motivated.

Party leaders say vandals threw rocks through five of 11 windows on the building and spray-painted "RAAN" on the wall. Regional director Gary Robbins told KXTV that the initials stand for "Reds and Anarchists."

Police say the attack happened sometime between late Friday and early Sunday. The windows displayed signs for Democratic campaigns, including that of Sen. Barbara Boxer.

No nearby buildings were damaged, and no arrests have been made.

Volunteers spent Sunday cleaning up the mess, putting off their campaign work with just four weeks left before the election.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/10/04/state/n082427D30.DTL&type=politics

Two hackers sentenced after stealing $70 million from banks -- United States

2010-10-11T02:47:00.000-07:00

Two Russian students from an international group of hackers suspected of stealing at least $70 million from bank accounts worldwide have been sentenced to short prison terms and fines after they pleaded guilty to money laundering in the United States, RIA-Novosti reported Friday.

The suspects had faced up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 on a variety of charges, including money laundering, bank fraud and identity theft.

A total of 22 Russians are suspected of belonging to the criminal group.

A Manhattan court sentenced Alexander Sorokin, 23, to six months in prison and a $100 fine on Tuesday, said Alexander Otchaynov, the Russian deputy consul in New York, RIA-Novosti reported.

But Sorokin, who had been released on bail, did not show up for the hearing and may face a more severe punishment if he has no reasonable excuse for his absence or has gone into hiding, Otchaynov said.

The other student, Anton Yuferitsyn, 26, was handed a 10-month prison term and a fine of $38,413 on June 25.

The court will deliver a verdict for the only other student who has pleaded guilty, Alexander Fyodorov, 24, on Jan. 5.

On Oct. 14, the court will open preliminary hearings into a fourth suspect, Kristina Svechinskaya.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/2-russians-in-hacker-ring-jailed-in-us/419311.html

Medical workers clash with police over pay -- Paris, France

2010-10-11T02:44:00.000-07:00

A group of nurses have clashed with riot police in the French capital as the health workers protested over pay.

Wearing blue scrubs, surgical masks and caps, hundreds nurses marched through the French capital before trying to reach the presidential palace. They were intercepted by dozens of policemen who wrestled some to the ground. Police lobbed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

Philippe Crepel, a nurse with the CGT union, said Friday's rally was the sixth of its kind in Paris since March.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/101001/world/eu_france_nurses__protest_1

Bourgeosie homes vandalized -- Hartlepool, England

2010-10-11T02:42:00.000-07:00

POLICE are hunting vandals who caused more than £2,000 of damage to a solicitors office and targeted the entrances of two plush homes.

Yobs poured creosote through a window and the letterbox of Smith and Graham Solicitors, in Church Square, Hartlepool.

Investigators believe the attacks are linked to an incident in The Parade, Hartlepool, where paint was thrown against a wall and gates of luxury houses.

The first incident took place on Saturday, September 18, when a side window of the solicitors was smashed and the culprits poured a thick-oily substance through the hole.

Then between 7pm on Wednesday, October 6, and 7am the following day, more creosote was poured through the letterbox of the main doors, which ran down and out along the concrete steps.

Officers were also called to adjoining houses in The Parade, near Ward Jackson Park, in Hartlepool, after their owners woke to find white paint splattered across their property on Thursday morning.

A clean-up crew spent hours blasting the unsightly stains off the bricks and wood.
One of the homeowners, who said she did not want to be named, told the Mail: "We found out from some friends who passed and said the wall was all covered in white paint and that it was in a right mess.

"There was white all over it and over the gates, and the security key pad was also covered.

"It's just mindless what they have done, I don't understand why. Maybe they just saw the big wall and thought it would be a good idea.

"That's all I know. I'm just thankful that it's coming off and hope it doesn't happen again."

Police are now appealing for help in catching those responsible.

A Cleveland Police spokeswoman said: "Police in Hartlepool are investigating two separate incidents of criminal damage at Smith and Graham Solicitors, in Church Square, and are urging witnesses to come forward.

"We believe they are linked to an incident in The Parade where white paint was thrown against a wall and gates."

http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Policevandal-attacks-may-be-linked.6572114.jp

Three inmates escape from jail -- Howell County, MO

2010-10-11T02:40:00.001-07:00

Officials are searching for three inmates who escaped from a Howell County jail
Sunday.

Howell County is in southern Missouri about 45 minutes from Mountain Home, Ark.

Officials are searching for three male inmates, Daniel Wilson, Carey Reese and Shawn Clark.

Officials have expanded their search for the inmates into Ozark County, Mo., which borders Arkansas.

Howell County officials said the three were last seen in a 2007 white Chevrolet Silverado with Missouri plates FAJ 189.

Officials believe the three are armed and dangerous.

http://www.4029tv.com/r/25175051/detail.html

Masked robbers pull off successful bank heist -- Portland, OR

2010-10-11T02:37:00.000-07:00

Two suspects in masks entered a Northeast Portland bank Friday afternoon, discharged their guns, and left with an unknown amount of money, according to Portland Police.

The robbery took place at about 12:45 p.m. at 4920 NE 42nd Ave., and police continue to search for the suspects, both of whom are described as wearing gray hooded sweatshirts.

Three employees at the U.S. Bank fled to a nearby ice cream shop and called 9-1-1, according to one employee.

"Three bank employees came running out saying the bank was being violently robbed," said Catlin Moser, who was at Roses Ice Cream.

Moser said the employees reported the two robbers were wearing "Shrek-style Halloween masks" as they entered the bank.

Shots were fired but no one was injured during the robbery, and contrary to an initial witness report, no hostages were taken, according to Portland Police.

Police and investigators from the FBI continue to work on the robbery case.

http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/local/story/Shots-fired-at-Northeast-Portland-bank-robbery/t29FtsKthkiBICnUKODWTw.cspx

Garment workers riot over labor dispute -- Jordan

2010-10-11T02:33:00.000-07:00

Jordanian police fired tear gas at Sri Lankan garment workers, after the workers threw stones damaging a police vehicle and injuring police officers following a dispute at the garment factory.

The Sri Lankan workers had demanded that their employer removes a Sri Lankan supervisor at the factory and provides them with accommodation. The factory had agreed to the demands after several meetings with the workers. When the employer tried to convey the acceptance of the demands, stones were thrown at the police officers escorting the garment officials, and the Jordanian police had then fired tear gas, Kingsley Ranawaka, Chairman of the Foreign Employment Bureau told the Daily Mirror online The Sri Lankan embassy officials are also in discussion with the workers and are trying to resolve the matter, Ranawaka added.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/news/23889.html

Burglary nets dozens of clothing racks -- Carlstadt, NJ

2010-10-11T02:31:00.001-07:00

Thieves backed a truck up to a warehouse loading dock on Grand Street during an overnight burglary this week and took off with dozens of racks of clothes valued at $150,000, police said.

The incident, which happened between 7 p.m. Monday and 9:55 a.m. Tuesday, is under investigation.

It the latest in a rash of robberies and petty crimes that have concerned police.

"We’ve responded to scams, identity theft and companies getting stuck with non-payment on credit cards …" Detective John Cleary said. "We are seeing fraud, forgery and an increase in theft. We’ve been seeing a big increase in them."

Many of the crimes occur in the borough’s corporate and industrial area, he said.

With fewer than 6,000 residents and 4.2 square miles, the borough’s population increases to 21,000 during workdays, he said.

Earlier this year, the corporate park was rocked by a botched heist of a perfume warehouse on Gotham Parkway, in which thieves — including three New York City police officers — tied up employees while they loaded trucks.

The perfume heist was "unusual," Cleary said, because it was an armed robbery.

He said detectives have been investigating numerous less-publicized crimes in recent months.

One is a rash of complaints from motorists about vehicle break-ins at off-site parking lots in the borough during football games at the New Meadowlands Stadium.

Even with the heavy caseload, he said he’s confident that the department has solid leads on finding the thieves who stole the clothes from the warehouse.

"They loaded the merchandise on a stolen truck that has a GPS [tracking system]," Cleary said. "We have certain locations [identified where they have gone]. … They probably didn’t know there was a GPS system in the truck."

http://www.northjersey.com/news/104551814_Thieves_take__150G_in_clothes.html

Slingshot vandals smash 20 businesses up -- Orlando, FL

2010-10-11T02:29:00.001-07:00

Vandals using slingshots shattered windows at 20 businesses Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

Police also said seven vehicles were entered by thieves in the south end of the city.

Capt. Rob Hicks said authorities were not certain if the vandalism and break-ins were linked. No suspects have been arrested yet in either crime spree.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-10-07/news/os-sling-shot-vandals-20101007_1_vandals-slingshot-crime-spree

Antifa clash with fascists and police -- Leicester, England

2010-10-11T02:26:00.000-07:00

Rival protesters fought running battles in the street after a demonstration in the Midlands erupted in violence.

The English Defence League and Unite Against Fascism staged protests in Leicester yesterday, prompting the city’s largest policing operation in 25 years.

About 1,000 EDL members and 700 UAF supporters were estimated to have descended on the city by 2.30pm and were involved in hurling bricks, bottles, smoke bombs and fireworks at officers.

A total of 13 men were arrested, the majority for public order offences.

One policeman was taken to hospital after he suffered injuries and the windows of the International Arts Centre, in Humberstone Gate East, were smashed when rocks were hurled.

Police had tried to marshall the rival groups, who were penned in by metal barriers in Humberstone Gate East, but violent clashes broke out away from the demonstration between EDL supporters and members of the local black and Asian community.

The EDL supporters ran away from the pre-arranged protest site to a nearby main road where they confronted gangs of local youths. Sporadic fighting broke out between the two sides at 4pm while riot police sought to maintain control.

Five people had been arrested by 5pm – one on suspicion of drugs offences, two for possession of an offensive weapon and two for minor public order offences.

EDL members said they were demonstrating against what they say is radical Islam – but have been branded racist by rival UAF supporters. Many members of the right wing group carried placards bearing slogans such as “Sharia laws will destroy Britain and all our British values”.

There were fears that the protest could spread to other cities after the EDL was banned by Home Secretary Theresa May from marching through Leicester.

Officers were on standby in Coventry after EDL spokesman Tommy Robinson posted a video on Youtube, claiming that the group was planning to travel there after the Leicester protest.

Chief Inspector Mark Markham, from West Midlands Police, confirmed the protest did not continue in Coventry. He said police had followed coaches carrying EDL supporters along the M69, onto the M6 and passed the exits for Coventry.

Leicestershire Police said: “Officers dealt with minor disorder among the EDL supporters on Humberstone Gate East. A number of protesters were detained for possible public order offences.

“In line with the policing plan for the protests, further officers in protective clothing have been mobilised and are supporting the police already stationed in the protest area. The disturbance is within the EDL supporter group, not directed at the counter protesters.”

Last week Home Secretary Theresa May authorised a blanket ban on marches in Leicester, but the groups were still permitted to hold static demonstrations.

Previous EDL protests in Dudley and Stoke-on-Trent have ended in violence.

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2010/10/10/edl-protesters-clash-with-unite-against-fascism-supporters-in-coventry-66331-27439646/

Thief makes off with $62,000 diamond -- Copley Township, OH

2010-10-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

From getting engaged to engaging in crime, a man steals one giant gem from a local high-end jewelry store.

On Saturday, October 2nd, the man arrived at Jared's Galleria of Jewelry on Medina Road in Copley, asking specifically for a 4-carat solitaire diamond.

Police say the suspect told a sales associate he was getting engaged, and his fiancee had asked for a 4-carat stone.

Investigators say the employee then showed the man a dazzling 4-carat Leo Diamond, and a size-7 white gold band.

The entire exchange was caught on store surveillance video.

It shows the two talking for more than 15 minutes, when suddenly the man grabs the diamond and the setting, valued at just over $62,000, and dashes out of the front doors.

"They were obviously shocked," said Detective David Moore of the Copley Police Department.

The suspect is said to have short hair, a goatee, a mustache and tattoos on the right side of his neck.

He was wearing a white, long-sleeve dress shirt, black pants and black shoes.

A similar crime was committed earlier that same day in the Pittsburgh area leading authorities to believe it might be the same suspect.

"We are looking into the possibly that these two may be linked," said Detective Moore.

Multiple agencies are searching for the suspect and the jewelry industry has been alerted to the suspect and his tactics. Detective Moore advises people shopping for a diamond to be very careful.

"There's a multitude of ways of getting rid of stones, from selling them to unsuspecting buyers at stores or on the internet, to selling it to unsuspecting patrons or having it cut."

http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-copley-diamond-theft-txt,0,1616722.story

Cop hit by stolen car -- Salt Lake City, UT

2010-10-11T02:22:00.000-07:00

Cottonwood Heights police are searching for a man who they say hit a police officer with a stolen car early Sunday morning.

The officer spotted the Honda Prelude, reported stolen from a used car lot, about 3 a.m., said Cottonwood Heights police officer Beau Babka. The officer tried to pull over the driver, but he sped away. The officer spotted the car again a few minutes later near 7165 South. He got out of his car and approached the Prelude, which appeared to be empty, but as he did he saw the driver pop up and start to drive at him, Babka said. The officer fired seven shots at the car, but did not apparently hit the driver.

The car struck the officer and threw him over the front hood, Babka said. The man sped away.

The officer was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for bumps and bruises and released.

Officers found the Prelude again about 45 minutes later, near the Santa Fe apartments at 1550 E. Fort Union Blvd. The man had attempted to spray paint it green. Police believe the suspect stole another car, a brown Chrysler 300 with license plate B292EL. It was seen speeding away from the apartment complex.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50447258-76/officer-car-police-driver.html.csp

Flames for traffic camera -- New Orleans, LA

2010-10-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

Police are trying to find determine who started a bonfire underneath a traffic
camera in the Bywater.

Tuesday evening, someone allegedly doused a tire with gasoline and set it on fire under the traffic camera, knocking out the camera which is set up in the 3400 block of Chartres Street.

"Two nights ago, somebody rolled a tire up and lit it on fire underneath the camera," said Johnny Bavender, who lives across the street from the camera.

Neighbors say flames torched the camera and charred the controls.

Davender said the camera, which is used to enforce the 25 mph speed limit along Chartres Street, is not very popular. He said he sees "a lot of people, drivers giving that thing the finger on a daily basis."

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Traffic-camera-torched-by-bonfire-in-Bywater-104509369.html

Waves of property damage -- Frederick, MD

2010-09-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

A rash of vandalism in Frederick-area neighborhoods in recent weeks has left dozens of vehicles defaced, numerous tires flattened and windshields cracked, houses egged and buildings spray-painted.

A little more than a week ago, vandals even removed a 4-foot-tall statue of St. Jude from its post at an Emmitsburg church and smashed it into pieces. St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes.

The church crime was only one of 234 destruction of property cases reported to the Frederick County Sheriff's Office from Aug. 1 to Sept. 27, according to Cpl. Jennifer Bailey.

"Property crime seems to be what we're responding to most often," including burglaries, vandalism and destruction of property cases, Bailey said.

Damage resulting from those crimes ranged from a small amount of money to hundreds and even thousands of dollars to repair.

"Fifty dollars to replace a mailbox may seem insignificant to some people. But for others, it's not," Bailey said. "That $50 might be their family's grocery money, and without it, they might not be able to eat."

The vandalism isn't confined to just the county. During those same eight weeks, the Frederick Police Department took 156 reports of destruction of property, Capt. Kevin Grubb said.

Maryland State Police responded to 25 property crimes in Mount Airy and Walkersville, Detective Sgt. Wayne Wachsmuth said. Police in Brunswick took 31 reports and police in Thurmont, 12.

Midweek last week, police in the City of Frederick were hard-pressed to recall any recent property damage crime sprees.

And then the weekend arrived -- and so did the vandals.

Fifty-three tires on 31 vehicles were flattened. "Some cars lost all four," Grubb said Monday.

"A line of people were calling, and it's unfortunate," he said. Not only did they suffer a financial loss for towing fees and for the damage they had to repair, but they were inconvenienced as well by temporarily not having the use of their vehicles.

In August and September, deputies responded most often to Emmitsburg, which had 15 reports. They took 14 complaints each in New Market and Mount Airy and 13 reports from Middletown.

Calls to Frederick mailing addresses outside the Frederick city limits numbered 111, Bailey said.

Town officials in New Market warned residents to keep an eye out on their property -- and their neighbors' property -- and to report anything out of the ordinary to the sheriff's office.

Mailboxes in the small town were destroyed, and lawns were damaged by cars, officials wrote in the town's newsletter.

Bailey said the sheriff's office has been receiving a number of tips since the creation of the agency's Facebook page.

"All calls get assigned to a deputy for follow-up investigation, and areas with repeat calls are put on a patrol checklist," she said.

It's not unusual for Bailey, when reviewing reports each morning, to see at least one, two or three cases of vandalism.

Property crimes are hitting county communities on a daily basis, she said.

Last Wednesday morning, Bailey found seven reports had been filed about vehicles that had had tires slashed or windshields broken along Robin Drive. Reports continued to accumulate until the number reached 17.

Dennis Ebaugh, the facilities manager at St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Emmitsburg, was startled when he reported to work about 8 a.m. Sept. 20 and realized the St. Jude statue was missing from the garden between the church rectory and parish center.

The statue hadn't been stolen. The crime was more senseless than that, he said.

The statue, which weighed at least 100 pounds, had been pulled off its stone base and carried around to the side of the building.

"Somebody busted it up," he said, estimating it will cost in the neighborhood of $400 to replace.

The sheriff's office arrested two teenage boys last week in one morning's rash of vehicle vandalism cases along Black Duck Court.

http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=110519

Solidarity flames for recent arrested anarchists -- Minsk, Belarus

2010-09-25T16:57:00.001-07:00

Two unknown people have thrown two Molotov cocktail bombs at the door of the detention center on Akrestsina Street in Minsk early on Monday, BelaPAN reports.

The door caught fire as a result of the attack at 04:23 a.m.

The city’s Maskowski district police department instituted criminal proceedings under Part Two of the Criminal Code’s Article 339 that penalizes malicious hooliganism.

It was not immediately known whether anyone was grabbed in connection with the incident. The press office of the city police department would not comment the report.

An anarchist group named Friends of Freedom claimed responsibility for the attack, saying in a statement posted on the Internet in the evening that they wanted to show solidarity with six anarchist activists arrested at the end of last week on suspicion of involvement in the August 30 fire-bomb attack on the Russian embassy in Minsk.

The six young men were arrested after an anarchist group claimed responsibility for the attack on the Russian embassy, in which a diplomat’s Mazda 3 car was burned after two glass bottles containing a flammable substance were hurled into the embassy's territory at about 10 p.m. on August 30.

The group said that the attack was in response to the Russian authorities' crackdown on activists protesting plans to build a new Moscow-St. Petersburg highway through a forest north of the Russian capital city.

http://naviny.by/rubrics/english/2010/09/07/ic_news_259_351620/

Anarchists attack two media vans -- Santa Cruz, CA

2010-09-25T16:55:00.000-07:00

Communique from a couple whatever singularities:

"Sunday September 19. San Lorenzo Park. Tire slashed on media van in broad daylight during Take Back Santa Cruz event.

The media is not objective. The existence of mass media is a symptom of a fundamentally alienated society. In turn, the media reproduces this alienation. They repeat police propaganda and brainwash people to be afraid of everyone around them. They tame struggles against the status quo by encouraging us to become media activists. To actually get out of the capitalist hell we live in, we need to meet other people and have unmediated conversations. Then, we organize to attack capitalism. Activists who pander to the media and democratic values are worse than useless.

Take Back Santa Cruz wants to drive poor people out of Santa Cruz. Especially people of color and the homeless. Well, we aren't going anywhere. You want the City Council to become even more repressive, in the name of public safety. You want more cops. You're a bunch of snitches and wannabe vigilantes. But you can't even prevent an attack on your event in the middle of the day.

We are uncontrollable."

And nearby, a comment in the Indymedia article repoted:

"UCSC "Media Services" van attacked that very sunday night. 'Expect Resistance' tagged over one whole side among other things."

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/09/20/18659349.php

Gang of cigarette theives making bank -- Hampshire, England

2010-09-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

A prolific gang of cigarette thieves is on the rampage across the county, smashing
their way into shops.

So far 25 premises have been burgled by the gang who have swiped thousands of pounds of cigarettes from newsagents, post offices and grocery stores.

The Daily Echo can today reveal that detectives believe the same highly organised group are behind the string of break-ins which have been carried out under the cover of darkness since the start of last month.

All of the raids have taken place either late at night or in the early hours of the morning – and many are close to main roads that give easy access to the south’s motorway networks.

The latest raid came in the early hours of Monday morning, when the burglars forced their way through metal shutters at the Co-Op store in Nursling.

They struck at the Nursling Street shop at around 4.30am, before making off with a haul of cigarettes from behind the counter.

It is not thought they attempted to take anything else.

The burglars have also struck across Southampton, Winchester, Ashurst, Romsey, Boyatt Wood, North Baddesley, Marchwood, Cadnam and Ringwood.

A major investigation is now under way, being led by CID officers from Lyndhurst police station, who are linking the crimes.

http://www.thisishampshire.net/news/8412903.Gang_of_cigarette_thieves_target_25_stores/?ref=rss

Pick-up truck used as battering ram in smash n' grab -- Saskatoon, Canada

2010-09-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Video of a violent smash-and-grab style of business break-in has been released by police in Saskatoon.

The one-minute long video is from a security camera in a convenience store.

It shows a white pick-up truck approaching the front doors and crashing into the doors.

The glass in one of the doors is shattered and there is enough room for a man to slip into the store.

He is wearing a hooded jacket and is in the store for only a few moments before slipping out, and back into the truck to drive away.

Police said the video is from a break-in at 4:23 a.m. CST on Monday.

They said the truck is a Dodge Ram and has a metal tool box in the back. Police were investigating two other incidents where a truck was crashed into a business.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/09/22/sk-smash-grab-video.html?ref=rss

Thief breaks into courthouse for electronics -- Wayne County, NC

2010-09-25T16:45:00.001-07:00

Deputies are looking for a bold criminal in Wayne County.

Around 5:30 a.m. Saturday Morning, an Assistant District Attorney was entering the Wayne County Courthouse when he saw it had been broken into.

Deputies say there was no forced entry and they have no reason to believe the break-in had anything to do with a current or future court case. They say the man in the photos appears to have been after electronic equipment. Some of that equipment had already been recovered.

http://www.wcti12.com/news/25160312/detail.html

Flames for policeman's home -- Indianapolis, IN

2010-09-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

A fire discovered early Monday at the Far-Southside home of an Indianapolis police officer was intentionally set, investigators said.

Around 1:15 a.m., authorities said, someone set fire to the back porch area of the home occupied by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officer Justin Beaton, his wife and their two children, ages 2 and 7.

The blaze quickly gutted the house and a backyard pool, leaving the family homeless and causing $100,000 damage.

IMPD and Indianapolis Fire Department investigators did not specify a motive or why they believe it was arson. They would not comment on reports that an incendiary device was used.

The crime stunned neighbors in the tree-lined, neighborhood of brick homes. Neighbors were uncertain whether it was a random act of violence or a case of someone targeting a police officer.

"They are both equally scary" scenarios, said Ed Rudisell, a next-door neighbor of the officer who was awakened by the commotion and ran outside to see Beaton unsuccessfully try to knock down flames with a garden hose. "If it's an individual that is starting fires or targeting a police officer, it's beside the point."

Beaton, who has been with the department for about five years, couldn't be reached. IFD spokeswoman Capt. Rita Burris said the officer's wife heard the sound of breaking glass on the back porch and then fire quickly engulfed the house. It took firefighters 30 minutes to put out the flames.

IMPD spokeswoman Sgt. Linda Jackson said officers can become known off-duty, because of cases they work or the fact they take home marked patrol cars. "If they (someone) did target them, it's disturbing," Jackson said.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20100921/LOCAL1801/9210332/Fire-set-at-home-of-policeman-was-arson-officials-say?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|IndyStar.com

Workers turn to looting to survive -- Aurora, South Africa

2010-09-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

The situation at cash-strapped mining aspirant Aurora Empowerment's Grootvlei Mine on the East Rand is so desperate that workers are resorting to looting the operation's resources to make ends meet.

Criminal gangs are also cashing in on the mine's assets.

Copper pipes, electricity cables, aluminium and wires are being stolen. And at least five people have been killed in running battles with security guards over illegal mining activities.

Trade union Solidarity deputy secretary-general Gideon du Plessis said "these are the results of Aurora's failure to meet its obligations".

Farsy Namanyana, chairman of the National Union of Mineworkers' Grootvlei branch, denied that workers were involved in illegal mining activities and blamed it on crime syndicates from Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

"In fact, workers have resorted to vigilantism to protect the assets because they provide a legitimate source of income for them. Police are not doing anything about it."

Aurora, owned by former president Nelson Mandela's grandson Zondwa Mandela and current president Jacob Zuma's nephew Khulubuse Zuma, has made headlines for its non-payment of employees.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/article675353.ece/Aurora-hit-by-vandalism-and-looting

Party turns into 400 person riot -- Eugene, OR

2010-09-25T16:36:00.001-07:00

Eugene police arrested four people and handed out several citations following a Saturday night riot involving some 400 people near the University of Oregon campus.

Officers were working a regular "party patrol" west of campus when they encountered the large crowd at about 11:20 p.m., police said. All available officers were called to the gathering at 13th and Ferry streets, along with additional personnel from the Lane County Sheriff's Office, the Springfield Police Department and Oregon State Police.

The crowd ignored commands to disperse, chanting obscenities while throwing bottles and other objects at officers, according to police. The unruly gathering also broke car windows and tore down street signs, police said.

Officers used tear gas to scatter the crowd, getting the situation under control shortly after midnight, police said. Further patrols in the area continued throughout the night.

Many university students moved back to Eugene earlier this week. Fall term classes begin Monday.

Arrested as a result of the fracas were Odin VanNorman Erickson, 24, Lauren M. Nunez, 21, Brett Joseph Mattos, 21, and Derik Ryan Brown, 19. Erickson, identified by police as a transient, was charged with riot, two counts of third-degree criminal mischief, interfering with police and possession of marijuana.

Five other people, ages ranging from 19 to 22, were cited with minor charges but not arrested.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2010/09/police_hand_out_arrests_citations_following_riot_in_eugene.html

Thieves burglarize cop's home -- Ludhiana, India

2010-09-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Thieves broke into the house of a head constable in the Sector 32 here and took away a .32 bore pistol, a video camera and Rs 3,000 in cash. However, the cop who reached on the spot could not stop the thieves who sped away in a car though he fired at them with his service revolver.

On Friday night, head constable Kawaljeet Singh posted at CIA II, who has his house in Sector 32 in Jamalpur area, had gone to visit his relatives in the nearby GK Estate with his family and there was no one at home.

However, when he returned home at around 1 am, he saw a car parked in front of neighbouring vacant plot with three people sitting inside, but ignoring it he moved towards the house. Much to his surprise, he found that the door was locked from inside and when he peeped in, he saw two men coming towards the gate and when he raised an alarm, they jumped out from backside.

When he saw that the people in the Zen car tried to run away he fired at the tyres of the car to stop them but the accused managed to run away. The family of the cop was left shocked by the incident.

On going inside, he found the house ransacked. He found his .32 bore pistol, 25 live cartridges, a video camera and Rs 3,000 in cash missing. He immediately informed the Division No 7 police station about the incident.

Sub-inspector Jaswinder Singh said, "We have already inspected the spot and now we are in the process of registering FIR."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Thieves-decamp-with-pistol-from-cops-house/articleshow/6627440.cms

Flames for city hall -- Mill City, OR

2010-09-16T19:42:00.001-07:00

Arson investigators are looking into the fire that destroyed City Hall and injured the city's finance clerk.

Firefighters found the building engulfed in flames after a report of an explosion Monday night.

The city's finance clerk, Joy Cronin, 46, was injured in the fire and take to Salem Hospital. She was later transferred to the burn center at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, according to the Linn County Sheriff.

Sheriff Tim Mueller said his office is investigating the suspcious fire with the help of the Oregon State Police State Fire Marshal's office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Mueller said the cause remains under investigation but that the fire is suspicious.

The fire was reported around 8 p.m.

According to City Councilor Lynda Harrington, all the city records are stored at City Hall, as well as archives.

"It is the heart of the city," she said. "Pretty much a disaster if all the records were destroyed."

Harrington said Cronin happened to be driving by when she noticed a glow inside the building.

When Cronin opened a door, flames exploded on her.

http://www.kval.com/news/local/102888504.html

Protesters and police clash over irrigation project -- Lima, Peru

2010-09-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

Peruvian police and protesters opposed to an irrigation project in the country's South clashed on Thursday, killing one man and injuring 18, as President Alan Garcia faces a new conflict over natural resources in the surging economy.

The country's human rights office said the skirmish occurred before dawn in the town of Espinar, 400 miles south of Lima. Police fought with protesters who say the Majes-Siguas II irrigation project will leave Espinar without water, said Silvio Campana of the rights office, which tries to mediate conflicts. The man who died was a bystander.

The project calls for a dam and water system capable of irrigating 95,000 acres of agricultural land in the region of Arequipa.

Peru's government has encouraged the growth of export-oriented agricultural farms and the petroleum industry to diversify the economy, which traditionally has depended on mining and is forecast to grow abut 7 percent a year.

But dozens of conflicts over natural resources have weighed on Garcia, whose disapproval rating is near 60 percent. Last year, three dozen people died in a clash over land in the Amazon jungle where indigenous tribes oppose oil exploration.

Water is a sensitive issue in Peru as desert covers its Pacific Ocean coast, where most of the population lives, and its Andean glaciers are melting because of climate change.

PRIVATE CONSORTIUM

While the government has issued a decree guaranteeing their water supplies, residents of Espinar are upset that the state investment agency awarded a concession on Monday for the project to a private consortium called Angostura-Siguas without listening to their concerns.

"The province of Espinar has its own needs that have never been considered," said Nestor Cuti, who leads the group of protesters and wants Garcia's prime minister to open a dialogue to end the standoff over water.

"With this concession were are condemned to have a lack of water for life," Cuti said.

Prime Minister Jose Chang said the protests must stop before the government agrees to go to the negotiating table.

He said protesters had tried but failed to take over the nearby Tintaya copper mine of global metals firm Xstrata. Tintaya is an important mine in the world's No. 2 copper-producing country.

"We are sure we will be able to reach a solution that will be just for the town of Espinar," Chang told reporters.

Finance Minister Ismael Benavides, who was sworn in on Tuesday by Garcia, represented the government's investment agency as the head of its water projects at a ceremony on Monday when the contract was awarded.

"I understand the worries about water among the people," Benavides said on Thursday on RPP radio. But he added: "This project is going to generate 150,000 or 200,000 jobs, and I'm sure much of them will go to Espinar."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100916/wl_nm/us_peru_violence_2

Officer killed in pseduo-"ambush" -- Rayville, LA

2010-09-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

A Rayville police officer was shot and killed on Sept. 11 while responding to a burglary-in-progress call at a home, according to The News Star.

K-9 Sgt. Thomas M. Alexander, 57, responded to the call shortly after 9 p.m. after an elderly woman reported that she had heard glass break. Upon arrival, he made sure the victim was safe before entering the house to arrest the suspects.

As he approached a closet inside the home, he was shot about four times, according to the reported.

"Basically, he got ambushed. He told (the victim) to run," Richland Parish Sheriff Charles McDonald told the newspaper. "He basically saved her life."

Robert J. Walker was arrested at the scene, Anthony D. Oatis was arrested two hours later and the third suspect, Richard L. Long Jr., was arrested Sunday morning.

All three suspects have been booked into the Richland Parish Detention Center on first-degree murder of a police officer and aggravated burglary charges and are currently being held without bond, according to the report.

An arraignment date has not been set, and Louisiana State Police are conducting an investigation.

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Officer-Down-News/Louisiana-Police-Officer-Killed-in-Ambush/2$54432

Lightning fast ATM theft -- San Antonio, TX

2010-09-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

In an operation that took just 24 seconds, thieves smashed their pickup into a Terrell Hills convenience store Thursday, then made off with the store's cash machine.

Surveillance video shows the truck's driver backing into the store's glass front, then quickly pulling forward to allow entry to the store. Two men are seen jumping out of the passenger side door, quickly lifting the ATM and placing it in the pack of the pickup. The men then get back in the pickup, which drives away.

The almost surgical precision of the crime led Terrell Hills Police Chief Greg Whitlock to believe the crooks have done this sort of thing before.

"This is not their first rodeo," said Whitlock. "They knew exactly what they were doing and they have probably done it several times in the past."

The two men who entered the store both covered their faces, one with a bandanna and one with a T-shirt.

San Antonio police recovered the pickup used in the crime, which was stolen, near State Highway 281 and Ramsey Road. The suspects and ATM were nowhere to be found.

http://www.ksat.com/news/25037836/detail.html

Construction vehicles vandalized at Nike site -- Needham, MA

2010-09-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

Police were called to the area of Charles River and Pine Streets at 8:49 a.m. on Sept. 7 for a report of vandalism to construction equipment. Officer David Eldridge spoke with the foreman at the site, the latter of whom stated that he that found two construction vehicles were damaged over the weekend at the Nike site.

The first vehicle, an Atlas Capco compressor, saw damage to two tires. Officials believe that the tires had been slashed with a knife. The second vehicle, a Case backhoe, had two damaged front tires, which also appeared to have been slashed. Sand has also been dumped into the hydraulic reservoir of the backhoe.

The area was checked for any evidence with negative results.

http://needham.patch.com/articles/police-log-vandalism-to-construction-equipment

$500,000 In jewels stolen in targeted attack -- Salt Lake City, UT

2010-09-16T19:30:00.001-07:00

Two jewelry salesman who had just arrived in Salt Lake City were robbed of an estimated $500,000 worth of jewels at a rental car office at the Salt Lake City International Airport Thursday.

Investigators believe the salesmen were targeted and the attack was not random.

About 4:15 p.m., two salesman got off a plane at the airport and went to a rental car station, said airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann. They were approached a short time later by two to five men, one of whom was armed with a knife. There was a brief struggle, followed by the assailants fleeing with the jewels in two separate vehicles, a black and a silver Toyota Camry, she said.
From the archive

At least one of the salesmen suffered minor injuries with a scrape wound by the knife, Gann said.

Few other details about the heist were known Thursday afternoon. Gann said airport surveillance video was being reviewed. Officials say there is no description of the suspects being released yet but said the men were covering their heads and faces.

A Salt Lake Valley-wide law enforcement effort is following leads and searching for the men. Officials are also in the process of interviewing the victims.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700066086/Police-look-for-thieves-in-airport-jewelry-heist.html

Miners riot against eviction attempt -- Zamora, Ecuador

2010-09-16T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Ecuadorian government mobilized some 1,500 policemen Wednesday, September 15, 2010 to dislodge a mining camp in the south.

It was on a bridge that hundreds of illegal miners and native people tried to block police. Burning tires, tree trunks, stone throwing, fighting lasted several hours and at least five wounded. Throwing tear gas grenades, some 500 police finally pass and enter the village of Paquisha, gateway to several encampments of illegal miners. With them, 17 semi-trailers supposed to ship away the retro-excavator machines which according to the government, cause serious damage to the banks of rivers.

The clashes have been particularly severe in this region, 20,000 families survive economically through the exploitation of gold deposits, with a lot of mercury. Officially, the government wants to professionalize the minors and legalize their concessions. The indigenous prefect of the region Salvador Quispe suspects, however, the authorities of wanting to leave the field open to large transnational mining companies, which the government denies.

The Indian movement, which traditionally opposes the mining industry, have decided to support the illegal miners. They were joined by leftist movements and environmentalists who are trying to mount a united front against the government.

http://sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/09/zamora-ecuador-local-miners-riot.html

400 Mink released from farm -- Granite Falls, WA

2010-09-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

The Fur Commission USA is reporting 400 mink were released September 9th, 2010 from a fur farm in Granite Falls, Washington.

The name of the farm was not specified. According to the fur farm directory The Blueprint, Granite Falls is home to two known mink farms: The Jeff Craggs fur farm, and Beck’s Mink Farm.

The largest mink release in the state occurred in 2003, when 10,000 mink were released from the Roesler Brothers Fur Farm in nearby Sultan, Washington. That farm was reported to still be open as of the summer of 2009.

While the target of the September 9th raid is not known, one of the two mink farm owners is familiar to activists - Harvey Beck reported an attempted raid of his farm in the summer of 1997. No animals were reported to have been released in that incident.

In a verbal folly of Bush proportions, while endorsing a bill that would target “eco-terrorists”, Beck made this statement to Washington state lawmakers in 2001:

"What does ecoterrorism have to do with our civil liberties and free speech? Absolutely nothing but destruction."

No claim of responsibility by the Animal Liberation Front has been made.

http://www.voiceofthevoiceless.org/400-mink-liberated-in-washington-state/

Copper thieves gettin' paid, wreaking $500,000 worth of damage -- Phoenix, AZ

2010-09-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

A network of thieves was behind a massive copper theft at a Phoenix office building, said police.

Air conditioning units were dismantled, electrical wire was yanked out of conduits, and piping was cut throughout the building near Thomas Road and 29th Avenue, according to property managers.

Damage is estimated at $500,000, according to the building’s leasing agent.

"It's sickening,” said property manager Genna Goldberg. “I just can't believe they're so aggressive and have so much nerve."

Managers said the thieves used spray paint on the glass doors to shield the looting that was going on inside the building. They also said the crooks had a lookout post at the front of the building.

“They have a bench positioned by the blinds where you can see that they had the blinds drawn down so they could have a vantage point of anyone coming on the property," Goldberg said.

Investigators said the thieves were likely at work for days -- having a field day in the vacant office building before the crime was discovered.

Off-duty police officers were hired to keep watch of the building, and over the weekend, police found several men stealing copper.

Police said the men took off running, but they arrested one of them. Charles England, 43, was taken into custody on Saturday. Police said they are searching for the others.

Phoenix police said the price of copper has more than doubled in the past year, and they have seen a spike in thefts of catalytic converters and backflow inhibitors recently.

Police also said it’s now illegal for scrapyards to purchase copper from catalytic converters and backflow inhibitors, and officers are conducting inspections to ensure businesses follow the rules.

http://www.kpho.com/news/25030136/detail.html

Bread price increase reversed after deadly riots -- Mozambique

2010-09-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Mozambique's government will reverse a bread price increase after riots in which 13 people were killed last week, Planning Minister Aiuba Cuereneia said yesterday.

The 30% rise in the bread price as a result of soaring wheat prices sparked the worst riots since 2008 in the country.

"The government has agreed to keep the old price of bread and to meet the costs by way of subsidies," Cuereneia said.

President Armando Guebuza's government had said it had been forced to increase bread prices because of the spike in wheat prices, which was linked partly to drought and fires in Russia.

The United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, Oliver de Schutter, warned yesterday the riots should be a wake-up call for governments that ignored food security problems, which arose two years ago.

Police fired rubber bullets, live ammunition and tear gas during the three days of protests against higher bread prices and rises in water and electricity tariffs last week. Among the dead were two children.

The price hike took the price of a bread roll - the bread staple of Mozambicans - to R1.45 in a country where the average person is paid about R267 a month.

Cuereneia said old prices of food imports such as rice and some vegetables would be maintained by reducing customs duties and value-added taxes. Electricity prices would also be rolled back. New water connection fees would be halved.

The government would put in place austerity measures to help fund subsidies by freezing allowances and pay rises for senior state officials. Foreign travel by officials would be limited.

The government put riot damage at about R23.8-million in a country where 70% of the people live on less than R15 a day.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/article647185.ece/Bread-price-dropped-after-deadly-protests

Deputy shot in possible robbery attempt -- Macon, GA

2010-09-08T16:47:00.000-07:00

Robbery may be the motive behind the shooting of an off-duty Bibb County deputy early Sunday morning, according to a police report released Tuesday.

Deputy Jimmy Goolsby remained in stable condition Tuesday after being shot in the left elbow while working security at VFW Post 9709 at 71 Key St. at about 3 a.m. Sunday.

Goolsby was standing with two other people when a man walked up to them and said “Give it up.” The man then shot three times toward Goolsby and the other two people, striking Goolsby, according to the police report.

The gunman was last seen running toward Henderson Stadium. His clothing and handgun were recovered near Anthony Road. He is described as a 6-foot 2-inch black man who was last seen wearing a white, hooded T-shirt.

http://www.macon.com/2010/09/07/1255805/robbery-may-be-motive-behind-deputy.html

Anarchists attack condo development and bank -- Seattle, WA

2010-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Communique:

"A Bank of America's atm slots were superglued, and a nearby vacant condo development was decorated with graffiti reading:

NO CONDOS, NO PRISONS, FOR CHILE (A)

An outside hose was also left running into a sliding door in order to flood the lower level.

DWELL Development tears down existing homes and replaces them with expensive "eco-friendly" condos that further the gentrification of Seattle's neighborhoods. We find it ludicrous that these condos are located mere blocks from one of the most recent sites of Nickelsville, Seattle's tent city. And, in a world of dying ecosystems, the construction of "extremely energy efficient and environmentally friendly" condos means absolutely nothing.

Bank of America is one of the three joint financial advisers (including Merrill Lynch and Barclays Int.) for GEO Group Corp. The GEO Group Corp. is a private prison firm that is paid millions by the U.S. government to detain undocumented immigrants and other prisoners. This corporation runs the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

We hold no illusion that these acts of sabotage will cause these corporations to financially collapse tomorrow. Instead, we attack in order to bring about a small rupture in the social fabric of our daily lives, allowing us to express our own personal rage, and knowing that to remain on the offensive is crucial to both our struggle and our spirits.

In solidarity with all prisoners,
In solidarity with our comrades facing heavy repression in Chile,
In solidarity with the victims of police violence in Seattle and everywhere,

- some anarchists"

http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/12133

Quick $1M jewelry heist -- Phoenix, AZ

2010-09-08T16:44:00.001-07:00

Police say about $1 million in jewelry was stolen from the Bedazzled Gallery in Phoenix sometime early Monday morning.

Phoenix police reported that five people wearing gloves and masks broke into the store in what they are calling a “smash and grab” burglary at the gallery's Biltmore Fashion Park location near 24th Street and Camelback Road.

The burglary lasted just two minutes and was caught on surveillance cameras.

Store owner Steve Arkawi admits he has a hard time watching the video.

"It broke my heart. I almost had a heart attack. It's horrible. It's horrible," said an emotional Arkawi. "It looks like somebody knew exactly what we had. They grabbed the most expensive jewelry we had. They took a lot of diamonds, a lot of gold, and a lot of nice jewelry."

Despite the price tags, Arkawi said the jewelry was not insured. He said insurance companies do not insure jewelry left in display cases so he skipped the coverage.

"It's too expensive and plus you have to put all the jewelry in a safe to be covered. We have a lot of pieces. It takes half a day just to put the jewelry in and out. It's too much," Arkawi said.

Despite the setback, Arkawi said his store remains open. Jewelry toward the back of the store was left untouched and so were pieces of art throughout his store.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/$1million-in-jewelry-stolen-in-%27smash-and-grab%27-robbery

"Hooligans" take bats to parked cars -- Toronto, Canada

2010-09-08T16:42:00.001-07:00

A group of bat-wielding vandals smashed vehicles in a Toronto neighbourhood early Wednesday, leaving residents to pick up the pieces — and the bills.

Cops were called to the Harbord St.-Ossington Ave. area after four people were seen walking up a residential street with baseball bats at about 2:45 a.m.

By the time officers arrived, at least 23 vehicles had been smashed, Toronto Police Const. Tony Vella said.

One Crawford St. resident, who asked not to be named, said he awoke to the sounds of bats hitting vehicles.

“There was ‘smash, smash.’ I heard about six,” the man said, standing across the street from his yellow Volkswagen Beetle and its smashed side-view mirror.

The man said he saw four people walk up the street with bats, pick up a discarded mattress from the sidewalk and throw it on the street.

Police slapped the quartet — two men and two women between the ages of 18 and 22 — in police bracelets.

“Hats off to the police. They did a great job,” the man said.

While Vella said it appeared alcohol played a factor, the man disagreed, saying, “I don’t think they were drunk. They were just jackasses.”

“Stay out of 14 Division,” was his message to the perpetrators. “I hope the judge makes them pay because I’m not going to pay insurance.”

With his Beetle — licence plate: MR HAPPY — parked in front of the Kadampa Buddhist Temple, he added: “It’s bad karma to hit Mr. Happy in front of the Buddhist temple.”

Antonio de Oliveira said he also won’t be going through insurance to fix damage to his truck. While his premiums won’t go up, he’s stuck with a $150 bill to fix his vehicle’s side-view mirror.

“What can you do? People do stupid things,” de Oliveira said. “They got caught. That’s the main thing, so let the system run its course.”

Toronto Police Const. Tony Vella said the vandalism appeared to be “a random act.”

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/09/08/15280226.html

University administrator steals hundreds of thousands from student funds -- Jersey City, NJ

2010-09-08T16:40:00.001-07:00

Some Jersey City college students learned a tough lesson just as a new academic year got underway, as a school administrator has been accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from them.

Student organizations at New Jersey City University are hard at work, with an extra eye on their finances, to kick off the school year.

State investigators say they were victims in a scheme by a school office manager to steal $420,000 from their annual activities budget.

“Actually, we were taken advantage of, because all the money is directly from students’ funds,” senior Carolina Garcia said.

“It’s really wrong,” student Victor Brito said. “That’s like stealing money from a little kid.”

The suspect, 48-year-old Shaunette Moody, is an eight-year employee at NJCU. She, along with her husband Alexander, now faces state and federal charges for conspiring to steal funds from student organizations.

Moody allegedly took the money – earmarked for programs and, in some cases, tuition reimbursements – and then forged signatures, cashing unauthorized checks. The whole time, she apparently told student leaders like student government president Fatimah Terry, that they had overspent.

“But when the data didn’t make sense, that’s when we started asking questions,” Terry said.

So how did it happen? It turns out those student organizations had accounts not with the university, but with a local bank, giving Moody almost uncontrolled access to student funds.

“It was discovered as a result of a bounced check,” John Melendez, vice president of student affairs, said.

Melendez said an investigation revealed discrepancies dating back to 2007, and that Moody and her husband had help from three co-conspirators – their friends – who signed over checks to them, taking a percentage of the cash.

What they did with the money isn’t clear, but the Moody family lives in a modest row house in Jersey City – far from the lap of luxury.

University officials say the school is insured against theft, and that every student’s account will eventually be reimbursed.

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2010/09/08/nj-university-administrator-accused-of-stealing-from-student-funds/

Police murder, people riot -- Los Angeles, CA

2010-09-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

In the wake of a recent wave of police murders in the Northwest over the past week, it's interesting to see how people respond to this kind of activity elsewhere.

As Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck defended the fatal shooting of a day laborer and officials called for calm, protesters and officers clashed Tuesday night in Westlake near the site of the incident.

About 300 demonstrators gathered at the LAPD's Rampart Station. Some in the crowd hurled eggs at police cars and others threw objects at the station windows, prompting officers in riot gear to push the throng along 6th Street.

Officers fired non-lethal projectiles at protesters near Union Avenue and 6th, where Manuel Jamines was fatally shot Sunday afternoon by an officer who said Jamines refused commands to drop a switchblade.

About 9:30 p.m., police declared the protest an unlawful assembly and moved in to disperse the crowd as trash cans were set on fire and rocks and bottles were thrown at officers.

As police pushed crowds on 6th, some protesters climbed atop multistory apartment buildings, where they threw objects at officers below. Officers fired non-lethal projectiles toward the rooftops as residents peeked from their windows.

Several officers suffered minor injuries after being hit by bottles and rocks, police said. At least 22 people were arrested on charges such as failure to disperse, said LAPD Sgt. Alex Chogyoji.

At an evening news conference, Beck said the three bicycle patrol officers who confronted Jamines had about 40 seconds to act and did as good a job as could be done in such a quick-moving, emergency situation.

"There was very, very little opportunity to do much more than what was done," he said.

Beck identified the three officers involved as Frank Hernandez, a 13-year veteran; Steven Rodriguez, a five-year veteran; and Paris Pineda, who also has been on the force for five years.

Hernandez fired the shots, Beck said.

Police showed photographs of the bloodied knife — a switchblade that is about 6 inches long when opened — that they say Jamines, 37, was holding at the time of the shooting. Investigators are testing the blood to see whose it is, the LAPD said.

Beck said the area where the incident occurred "is not an easy place to police," in part because of its large immigrant population and widespread illegal vending.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who was at the news conference, urged residents not to resort to violence. "We need to calm the waters," he said.

That message failed to resonate with protesters.

Near 6th and Union late Tuesday, police fired at least two volleys of non-lethal projectiles. Demonstrators, including families with children, bolted down the street and into alleyways. Witnesses said a man fell off his bike and struck his head.

Jesus Alejandro Hernandez Carmona, 20, was lying on the ground, bleeding profusely from the left side of his head, near a candle-lit memorial to Jamines. He was surrounded by a crowd that was book-ended by police lined up along 6th at Union on the east and Burlington Avenue on the west.

Los Angeles Fire Department ambulances were at the scene but were not crossing the police line. When asked by a reporter why the man was not receiving medical attention, a police commander said, "Tough."

Carmona was eventually helped to the ambulance by friends and received treatment.

Several people shouted angrily into loudspeakers and a group of young men wove through the crowd on bicycles. A vendor hawked bags of potato chips.

Carmona was eventually helped to the ambulance by friends and received treatment.

Several people shouted angrily into loudspeakers and a group of young men wove through the crowd on bicycles. A vendor hawked bags of potato chips.

Vitalina Rubio, 52 looked on with disappointment as protesters hurled the eggs.

"You can't fight violence with violence," said Rubio, a Mexican immigrant who has lived in the MacArthur Park area for nine years.

Several cars and pedestrians were trapped amid the mass of demonstrators. One man kept shouting in Spanish, "I only wanted KFC!"

Earlier in the day, Beck briefed the civilian Police Commission on the shooting, explaining that the one officer who fired his weapon did so in "immediate defense of life."

The chief's defense of the shooting came amid continuing protests from some Westlake area residents who complained that police routinely mistreat them. They say officers toss food from illegal vending carts and verbally harass them.

"We want someone — the mayor, a council member, anyone — to come here and say enough is enough," said resident Ana Lopez, 42. "The people want answers."

Beck stressed that the investigation into Jamines' death had just begun. But he promised it would be as transparent "as humanly possible."

The incident started Sunday afternoon when Rampart Division's bicycle unit responded to a call of a man threatening passersby with a knife.

The officers rode to the corner of 6th and Union , and found Jamines making threats. They confronted him with weapons drawn, repeatedly ordering him in English and Spanish to drop the knife, Beck said. But Jamines instead raised the knife over his head and came toward the officers, Beck said, at which point Hernandez fired two rounds.

Jamines was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sitting at the Guatemalan consulate's office on Tuesday, three of Jamines' cousins spoke somberly about his death. They described the father of three as a hard-working man who struggled with alcohol on the weekends. He came from a small town in Nahuala, Solola, where his body will soon be transferred by the consulate.

Isaias Jamines said Manuel had begun drinking about 9 a.m. on the day he died. He said he saw his cousin on 6th Street and asked him to quit drinking and go home. Moments later, when Isaias arrived at his apartment, he heard three gunshots.

"I couldn't believe it was my cousin," Isaias said.

"Why couldn't they have shot him in the leg or somewhere else instead of killing him? He was drunk, but he was never a violent person."

Juan Jamines, another cousin, asked the Westlake community to remain peaceful and cooperative.

"We don't want problems," Juan said. "We just want justice."

Pablo Alvarado, the director of the National Day Laborer Network, said he hoped that the shooting would help start a dialogue between day laborers and police.

"Violence like this should not separate us but should draw us together," he said.

Although some residents complained about the way police treated them, others — including many business owners — supported the efforts of the LAPD over the last several years to drive down drug dealing and other crime that was once much more rampant. The department earned wide praise for cleaning up MacArthur Park, and that continues to pay dividends for the community.

A town hall meeting will be held by the Police Department at John H. Liechty Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapd-shooting-20100908,0,5823510.story?page=2

Anarchists attack two banks -- Tacoma, WA

2010-08-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

The communique goes down like this:

"One bank was attacked and another sabotaged in Tacoma, Washington.
One of them being Wells Fargo the main investor in GEO Group and
the Northwest Detention Center, an immigrant detention center
(prison) that sits comfortably in the Tacoma tide flats. “NO
PRISONS (A)” was spray painted on the side of the building and 3
windows where smashed. Bank of America also had an ATM card slot
glued. Bank of America is one of the three joint financial advisers
(including Merrlin Lynch and Barclays Int.) for GEO Group Corp.

In solidarity with all imprisoned, in all prisons,
And for the destruction of the prison world.

- Anarchists"

A night of seemingly unrelated events -- France

2010-08-30T02:14:00.000-07:00

Bois Blancs, Lille

Police in response at Bois-Blancs were attacked by thrown missiles on Monday night when they accosted the occupants of a suspicious vehicle. It was during a routine intervention that police officers were attacked around 22:30 Monday night in rue Coli in Bois-Blancs.

Officers were busy controlling the occupants of a suspicious vehicle that had been reported following a theft of car accessories carried out the same morning in the neighborhood when some unknown people emerged and started throwing projectiles at them. The windshields of two police vehicles were damaged. There were no injuries. The police, however, had to curtail their presence on site, taking with them the five occupants of the vehicle, three minors and two majors. They were released yesterday, no link having yet been established with the flight.

The investigation continues on this subject, and another investigation was opened by Lille metropolitan Police regarding throwing of projectiles.

Yesterday afternoon, an identity control was to be conducted in the area of Bois-Blancs. "To show the whole world that there are no zones of lawlessness," explained a police source said yesterday.

Nantes

About thirty young people participated in urban violence during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday in a northern district of Nantes following the arrest of three of them, it was learned from the prefecture. "A group of people, some hooded, and armed with iron bars, attacked street fixtures, smashing the windows of a store, a school and two vehicles" after arrests for robbery, In addition to bus shelters and school windows being smashed, a burning car and a van were still visible late Wednesday morning in the neighbourhood. The neighbourhood was quiet, without any visible police presence.

The violence occurred at about 23:00, said the prefecture. Shortly before, around 19:00, the arrests took place nearby, in which two policemen were slightly wounded, the source said. Of the three people arrested, one was able to flee, according to deputy prosecutor in Nantes. "The inquiry has been hectic," tear gas had to be used, says one police source.

Shortly after 23:00, many calls from witnesses at the central state were "thirty to forty people picking on bus shelters and bus shops, some were hooded and armed with iron bars, he said. Upon arrival of police, including half a company of CRS, supported by the PBM (local security group), the CDI (Company departmental intervention) and BAC (anti-crime brigade), the demonstrators had fled, police said.

Toulouse

Police came under heavy gunfire and stone-throwing that injured one of them in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday in the sensitive district of Bagatelle in Toulouse. Officers of the Mirail anti-crime brigade were called before midnight to intervene in the city where shots had been fired. In helping a victim of the shooting police were repeatedly fired at with a shotgun by masked individuals, reported the union Alliance. According to another professional organization, the SGP-FO police unit, the first union of peacekeepers one particular individual in a vehicle opened fire on the car of the LAC.

The ensuing chase turned into an ambush when police were confronted with about fifty people engaged in classic stone throwing, said Police Unit SGP-FO.

One policeman was wounded by the hail of stones. An inquest has been opened for attempted homicide of the police officers.

http://sysiphus-angrynewsfromaroundtheworld.blogspot.com/2010/08/france-lille-nantes-toulouse-one-night.html

Van Gogh piece lifted with ease -- Cairo, Egypt

2010-08-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

When the Vincent van Gogh still life “Poppy Flowers” was stolen from Egypt’s Mahmoud Khalil museum Saturday, no one noticed at first.

The Vincent van Gogh painting known as 'Poppy Flowers' and 'Vase with Flowers,' valued at $55 million, was stolen in broad daylight from the Mahmoud Khalil museum in Cairo, where the surveillance cameras and alarms had long been defunct.

None of the alarms meant to protect the artwork in the museum sounded. Only seven of 43 security cameras were working. Just 10 people visited the museum that day and guards were scarce enough that the thieves were able to drag a couch underneath the painting to stand on while cutting the $55 million painting from its frame in broad daylight.

Those are some of the security failures that Egyptian officials have pledged to address as they react with outrage to the daring heist.

The blame quickly fell on the deputy culture minister, who, as the head of the fine arts department with an office in the museum, has been charged with negligence. Four museum employees were also detained.

“I can’t work with these incompetent employees,” Culture Minister Farouk Hosni told Egyptian newspaper Al Masry Al Youm, saying he cannot sleep at night because of concerns over Egypt’s art and antiquities.

“Poppy Flowers” was hanging in the Mahmoud Khalil Museum, the former home of a 1930s Egyptian politician that now houses his collection of more than 300 paintings and 50 sculptures, including works by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Gaugin, and van Gogh. Such security failures at a museum with a collection worth an estimated $1.2 billion are surprising, even in Cairo, where metal detectors are ubiquitous but seldom put to real use. (The metal detector at the Mahmoud Khalil museum was said to be broken.)

Zahi Hawas, head of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a statement Tuesday that Egypt would create a central security office to monitor its museums, and that Mr. Hosni would review museum security procedures.

Mr. Hawass is eager to keep the heist from being used as an argument against his mission to recover the ancient Egyptian artifacts held by international museums. The Ministry of Culture and the public prosecutor‘s office refused to comment on the issue. Hosni caused confusion when he falsely declared the painting recovered and the thieves apprehended at the Cairo Airport, later claiming his statement was guided by false information.

Julian Radcliffe, founder of The Art Loss Register, which maintains a database of stolen artwork, says properly protecting artwork is no simple task. It requires costly technological safeguards, such as burglar alarms and camera surveillance, and guards in every room.

“It's a very expensive and complex operation to keep security at a high level,” he says. “That does not excuse the bad security but it's not cheap and easy.”

Even before the theft, the lack of security was at the small museum was noticeable. Visitors had virtually free rein in the worn interior where many paintings, lacking a glass protectant, hung within easy reach. In most rooms, there were no guards to keep watch.

Egypt has reportedly put border patrols and airport officials on alert to prevent the painting from being smuggled out of the country. Mr. Radcliffe says the thieves will almost certainly attempt to move the painting out of Egypt to access the bigger markets in Europe and the US, if they have not already.

“They will eventually try to put it back on the market or try to get a ransom for it,” he says. “They may put it back on the market as a very good copy.” They will glean a profit even if they only receive a small percentage of its open-market value.

The chances of recovering “Poppy Flowers” quickly is slim. Only about 15 percent of stolen works of art are recovered within 20 years, says Radcliffe. According to him, about 15 to 20 percent of stolen artwork is destroyed or forgotten, while another 15 to 20 percent are sold, and yet another 15 to 20 percent “stay in the underworld for long periods of time.”

The worldwide art theft trade could be as large as $1 to $2 billion a year, according to calculations by The Art Loss Register.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/0824/The-thieves-had-it-easy-in-Cairo-art-heist

Guards open fire during prison riot -- Folsom, CA

2010-08-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

Seven inmates injured in the Folsom Prison riot have been hospitalized with various injuries including gunshot wounds. Prison officials have not stated how many inmates were injured after officers opened fire to quell the riot that began at approximately 7:00 p.m. Friday night. Approximately 200 inmates were involved in the riot, but police are not saying what sparked the riot at Folsom Prison. The riot broke out in the recreation yard of the prison. None of the correctional officers were injured during the riot.

Officials as the prison are not releasing the exact injuries suffered by those who were hospitalized, but they are saying that none of the injuries to the inmates are life threatening.

Folsom Prison is a medium security prison, and was opened in 1880. Johnny Cash recorded a live album there, and wrote the hit song “Folsom Prison Blues” about the facility. The riot ended after approximately thirty minutes, and corrections officers fired tear gas, non-lethal rounds, and rounds from a mini-14 rifle. No employees of the prison were injured in the incident.

The Folsom Prison riot is the latest in a string of riots that has plagued the prison in recent years. The seven inmates injured in the riot are all expected to recover from their injuries. Police have not released what caused the riot, and the matter is still being investigated, but the prison is under lockdown while the investigation is occurring.

http://law.rightpundits.com/?p=2178

Designer jeans heist -- Perth, Australia

2010-08-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

Upmarket thieves have targeted three high fashion clothing stores in Claremont and Mosman Park, stealing more than $150,000 worth of designer-label clothes.

Police are investigating a series of Burglary offences which occurred between Monday August 23 and Thursday in the Claremont and Mosman Park areas.

One shop in Claremont was broken into between 2am and 3am on Tuesday and two in Mosman Park were broken into between 3am and 4am Thursday.

The offenders have forced entry to the shops and targeted high-end fashion clothing labels such as “Citizen”, “Paige”, “Velvet”, “Nudie Jeans” and others.

Additionally, other items including jewellery, sunglasses and handbags have been also been stolen. It is estimated the total value of the theft will exceed $150,000.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/thieves-take-150000-in-designer-labels-from-western-suburbs-shops/story-e6frg13u-1225910990034?from=public_rss

Students and teachers riot after death of a student -- Berhampore, India

2010-08-30T02:06:00.000-07:00

Students and teachers of a school in West Bengal's Murshidabad district clashed with the police on Friday following the accidental death of a student. Twenty people were injured in the violence and road traffic was disrupted.

Four students were injured by bullets allegedly fired by the police while 16 policemen were hurt in brickbatting.

According to the police, Khaleda Khatun, a class IX student of Murari Pukur High School at Suti, was killed on the spot after being run over by a speeding truck while coming to school.

To protest against this, students and teachers of the school put up blockades on NH-34, the highway linking north and south Bengal, disrupting traffic movement, they said.

When the police arrived at the spot, the agitators ransacked their vehicle and pelted stones at them. Following this, the policemen lathicharged the people and fired tear gas shells, sources said, adding 16 policemen were injured in brickbatting.

Locals alleged that the police fired as they failed to control the situation, though the police denied firing by them.

Four students, who sustained bullet injuries, were out of danger, the sources said.

The road blockade was ultimately lifted in the evening after Additional Superintendent of Police Dipnarayan Goswami went to the spot and talked to the agitators.

While Left opposition party Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) called a 12-hour Suti bandh tomorrow, Democratic Students Organisation (DSO) called student strike in entire Murshidabad district in protest against the incident.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/berhampore-police-clash-with-students-teachers-20-injured-47679

Cyber theft for Catholic Diocese -- Des Moines, IA

2010-08-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

More than $600,000 has been stolen electronically from a Bankers Trust account belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, the bank and diocese said Friday.

The thieves are believed to be “a highly sophisticated operation most likely based overseas” who transferred the money “to numerous recipients across the United States on Aug. 13 and 16,” the diocese said in a statement announcing the theft.

Bankers Trust alerted the diocese to the fraud on Aug. 17. The bank immediately shut down relevant bank accounts and began a process to recover the funds. “To date, approximately $180,000 has been recovered,” the diocese said.

“No diocesan or bank staff is suspected” of being involved in the theft, the diocese said.

The statement said that law enforcement officials have said similar thefts have involved the “participation of individuals who unknowingly act as intermediaries of the funds obtained by theft.”

Des Moines Diocese Bishop Richard Pates said in the statement that the loss is protected by insurance.

“We have been advised that such criminal activity is rampant,” Pates said in the statement.

The FBI and U.S. Treasury were immediately notified of the theft, the diocese said, adding that the FBI has taken possession of several diocesan computers. Officials of neither agency were available for comment Friday morning.

Bankers Trust has sent a memo to its employees informing them that the bank’s “internet system was not breached and continues to be secure.”

“We do not yet know how the criminals infiltrated the diocesan systems, but we expect the investigation will reveal this so we can share with other clients and prevent potential breaches of their systems,” said the memo signed by Donald J. Coffin, Bankers Trust’s chief lending officer.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100827/BUSINESS/100827007/1001/

Flames for new cell phone store -- Montreal, Canada

2010-08-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

The arson squad is investigating after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at the ground floor of a commercial/residential building in Rosemont.

An alarm went off at 3:50 a.m. Wednesday when the front window was shattered, and a Molotov cocktail tossed into the store.

Firefighters were quick to arrive at the scene, and were able to limit damage to the front of the building located at 2565 Belanger, near Molson.

Nobody was injured in the attack, and none of the apartments above the store were damaged in any way.

Investigators are gathering evidence to determine who pitched the incendiary device into the new store, which was reportedly set to open soon for business.

http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20100825/mtl_arson_100825/20100825/?hub=MontrealHome

Incredibly expensive gold bar stolen from museum -- Key West, FL

2010-08-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

They may not be Thomas Crown or Danny Ocean, but two thieves reportedly made off with a gold bar worth about $550,000 from a Key West museum.

Police and the FBI are working to identify the two suspects, who stole a historic gold bar this week from the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum.

The 74.85-ounce bar had been on display at the museum for more than 20 years. It was locked in a see-through case that allowed visitors to touch and lift it, while keeping it secure.

Security footage shows the suspects breaking into the case at about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, shortly after the museum closed for the night.

The bar was found in 1980 at the Santa Margarita shipwreck off the Florida Keys.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/19/1783870/thieves-steal-gold-bar-worth-550000.html

Partygoer teens fight cops and riot -- West Australia

2010-08-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

Shocked neighbours told of parents dropping off underage children with cartons of liquor as riot police tried to quell up to 200 drunk and unruly teenagers at a violent 15th birthday party in Mandurah on Saturday.

Police said the parents who supplied the alcohol were irresponsible after up to 30 officers in riot gear were called in to quell the violence.

The police helicopter was also sent to Brandon Wadley's party in Cassilis Court, Greenfields, after terrified neighbours called for help when the celebration turned ugly.

The quiet cul-de-sac was more like an inner-city ghetto by 9pm when 14 patrol cars cordoned it off to break up the out-of-control party and stop more people joining in.

Revellers threw bottles and rocks at houses and police while others used backyards to get to the Wadley home.

Neighbour Steve Ramble said there were about 200 people in the street, which was strewn with broken glass, and his house was pelted with bottles.

"The kids had to stay inside away from the windows," he said. "They were terrified. The police did what they could but it was a bit too late."

He was shocked to see parents dropping children off as riot police battled to disperse the mob.

"How could you let your child in there when riot police are trying to get people out?" he said. "As a parent, you can't imagine it."

Men aged 42 and 19 were arrested for disorderly conduct. No one was injured.

Insp. Danny Mulligan said the behaviour was antisocial, unacceptable and disgusting and the parents of children involved were irresponsible.

It was disappointing that police had had to quell large-scale disturbances in Mandurah three times this month.

An officer was injured when youths threw bottles and rocks at police at a birthday party in the CWA Hall.

Just 24 hours earlier, riot police were called from Perth to an out-of-control 16th birthday party in Salmon Gums Lane, Dawesville, where some of the 200 partygoers threw rocks and bottles at officers.

Insp Mulligan said police would talk to Brandon's parents about the party and would establish whether offences took place.

Brandon's father Aaron Wadley declined to comment but Brandon told the ABC gatecrashers from Rockingham were to blame.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/7843198/riot-police-called-out-to-control-drunk-teens/

Fiery crime spree leaves cop cars in flames -- Warren County, MO

2010-08-20T15:36:00.000-07:00

Two men are jailed for a crime spree that police say involved setting fire to police cars, then sending a burning truck onto railroad tracks.

Corey M. Puetz, 21, and Xavier D. Washington, 19, both of Warrenton, are each charged with first-degree burglary, stealing a motor vehicle and stealing over $500. Bond is set at $100,000.

Warren County Sheriff Kevin Harrison said the crime spree lasted from last Thursday morning until Saturday. No one was injured in any of the blazes.

"I honestly think these kids wanted to create chaos," Harrison said Tuesday morning. "They wanted to light fires. They wanted to see vehicles explode."

Harrison gave the following account of the crime spree:

At about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, the duo went to the parking lot behind the courthouse in Warrenton. They put a firework into the fuel filler tube of a Warren County sheriff's patrol car and lit it. But the fire didn't catch, and the pair ran off. They went to a nearby home and stole a can of gasoline. Then, they put a gas-soaked rag into the fuel tank of a patrol car and lit it.

They ran to a nearby park and watched as firefighters put out the fire, Harrison said. The car was gutted. It was worth about $8,000, the sheriff said, and contained several thousand dollars' worth of police equipment.

After that, the pair broke into two homes and stole a truck. Hours later, at about 11:45 p.m. Thursday, they put gasoline into a weed-killer pressure sprayer and sprayed gas onto three cars owned by the Warrenton Police Department. They lit the gas and watched as it burned out. They came back with more gasoline and charcoal lighter fluid. They started another fire on the police cars. An officer saw the fire and used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire. Only one police car was damaged.

A half-hour later, the men set the stolen truck on fire and drove it onto railroad tracks near the Highway 47 overpass in Warrenton.

A citizen's tip on Saturday eventually led police investigators to Puetz and Washington.

State and federal prosecutors are considering additional charges dealing with the arson to the patrol cars and the truck.

Harrison, the sheriff, said neither Puetz nor Washington has had any prior serious dealings with police here. He said Puetz has been picked up before for minor offenses, such as traffic violations and supplying alcohol to minors. Washington used to live in California and has no prior arrest record, Harrison said.

Flames for cops outside consulate -- Theassaloniki, Greece

2010-08-18T03:09:00.001-07:00

A predawn firebomb attack on the Turkish Consulate in Thessaloniki yesterday prompted contact between diplomats in Athens and Ankara, although authorities in the northern Greek city insisted that the Molotov cocktails were thrown at the police guards rather than at the building itself.

Police sources said that three men wearing motorcycle helmets approached the consulate, located on Aghiou Dimitriou Street in the city center, at about 4 a.m. From a distance, they started swearing at the two policemen who were standing guard outside the building. One of the three assailants allegedly shouted: “Pigs, we are going to burn you,” before two firebombs were thrown. One Molotov cocktail landed a few meters from the guards’ sentry post and set fire to a climbing ivy on the outer wall of the consulate; the other exploded in midair. Nobody was injured and no arrests were made.

Authorities are treating it as just another of the many firebomb attacks that take place in the northern city. Nevertheless, due to the sensitive nature of the matter, the Greek government was quick to condemn the incident “absolutely and categorically.”

“Acts like these, regardless of the motives involved, are unacceptable and are directed against Greece itself,” said government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis. “Our society has zero tolerance for such acts. Those responsible will be arrested and brought to justice.

“We express our sorrow to the Turkish government,” he added.

Alternate Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu discussed the matter over the telephone. The Foreign Ministry said that Droutsas assured Davutoglu the matter was being investigated and everything was being done to catch the attackers.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100010_13/08/2010_119028

Expensive arboretum equipment heist -- Dallas, TX

2010-08-18T03:08:00.001-07:00

Thieves have hit one of Dallas’ most popular attractions overnight and stole $50,000 worth of equipment.

Police say it’s obvious those who broke into the Dallas Arboretum knew exactly where to go once they got inside. They got into a garage and stole a tractor, trailer, lawn mowers, a brand new F-150 pick up truck and more.

The arboretum is now scrambling to replace what was taken.

“Any type of loss is painful, especially equipment. You have to take time to replace the monies you didn’t have allocated. You have to find it. It kind of hurts, yeah,” said Terry Lendecker, Dallas Arboretum's spokeswoman.

Dallas police are reviewing surveillance video. They also encourage anyone who may have seen something suspicious while driving on Buckner Boulevard Monday night to call in a tip.

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/dpp/news/081710-thieves-steal-arboretum-lawn-equipment-

Man dies in attack on police station -- Dallas, TX

2010-08-18T03:06:00.000-07:00

A 29-year-old US man has died in a gunfight after he opened fire on a Texas police station.

Patrick Gray Sharp towed a trailer full of explosive materials into the Dallas station's car park in McKinney, set fire to his truck and began shooting at the building, police officials said.

Police chief Doug Kowalski said Sharp died after a shootout with officers but it is unclear whether he was killed by an officer's bullet or one of his own.

No-one else was injured during the Tuesday morning clash, which led to nearby Collin College locking down its campus and warning students and staff to stay home

Sharp may have intended to lure people from the police station so he could shoot at them from a field across the street where he had taken position, Mr Kowalski said. He also may have intended to kill them by blowing up the trailer, he said.

The fire set off ammunition in the truck but failed to ignite the trailer, which was filled with wood chips, ammonium nitrate, petrol and road flares, Mr Kowalski said.

Investigators found an assault rifle, a shotgun and a handgun on Sharp. He fired at least 100 rounds at the police station and Mr Kowalski counted at least 23 bullet strikes on the building.

Sharp was found dead after police fired an unknown number of rounds while pursuing him in a line of trees where he had taken cover and into an open field near the college.

His room-mate, Eric McClellan, said there was nothing about Sharp that would lead him to believe he would try to attack police.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/man-dies-in-police-station-shootout-14914848.html?r=RSS

Thieves break into expensive jewelry store -- London, England

2010-08-18T03:04:00.000-07:00

Burglars broke into De Beers and Omega at the Royal Exchange in the City last night.

City of London police said they did not yet know the value of the stolen jewellery.

A spokesman said: ''Just after 10pm last night De Beers and Omega were broken into at the Royal Exchange and a burglary took place.

''Police are now investigating the incident.''

The Royal Exchange, built in 1565, is located between Threadneedle Street and Cornhill and boasts more than 30 luxury stores. A security guard working at the imposing white stone building said staff had been told the robbers entered through the back of the property.

The man, who did not want to be named, said: "We've been told that at about 10pm last night a BMW turned up at the back entrance, four men jumped out and managed to get inside the building somehow.

"At the moment we don't know how much has been taken, but with the price of some of the stuff inside these shops just a few items could easily run up to a very, very large amount.

"It's looking as though whoever has done this has been targeting the shops for a long time."

City of London police refused to be drawn on whether they are investigating claims that the robbers had arrived in a BMW.

A police spokesman said it was still too early in the investigation to determine the cost of the items taken.

A number of Royal Exchange security staff were the only people inside the building this morning.

The three men could be seen taking photographs and making measurements.

The up-market shopping centre, which is closed at the weekend, lies just yards from the Bank of England and sits in the heart of the City.

The front of the Grade 1 listed building boasts a vast Corinthian style eight pillared portico, with the entrance protected by sprawling green wrought iron gates.

The shopping centre, which houses high-end stores such as Gucci, Hermes and Cartier, specialist chocolatiers and tobacconists, has three other smaller entrances, each of these protected by iron gates.

The robbery comes almost a year after raiders stole £40 million worth of jewellery from Graff Diamonds in London's Mayfair district.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7946480/Smash-and-grab-raiders-target-De-Beers-store-in-London.html

Prisoners set fires and generally raise hell -- Lancaster, OH

2010-08-18T03:01:00.000-07:00

A riot involving 23 prisoners in the west cell block of the Main Street Jail prompted a lockdown and an eventual evacuation of the cell block Monday evening.

SWAT officers, Lancaster police officers, Lancaster Fire Department firefighters and police officers from Fairfield Medical Center converged on the jail at 7:30 p.m. after prisoners began lighting mattresses and toilet paper on fire and throwing items through the cell bars, Fairfield County Sheriff Dave Phalen said.

In all, about 40 law enforcement officers and firefighters responded to the incident.

No one was injured in the riot, which was brought under control by 9 p.m., Phalen said.

Prisoners were strip-searched, bound with Flex-Cuffs and taken to the secure yard behind the jail while debris from the cell block was cleared.

Prisoners were being returned to their cells as of 11 p.m. Monday. Twenty-three prisoners were being housed in the west block's five cells at the time of the riot.

An investigation into the incident has begun, and Phalen said his office will review surveillance footage from the cell block to identify the cause of the riot and its instigators.

"We've had some problematic prisoners that are difficult prisoners to deal with," Phalen said. "We anticipate criminal charges including arson, rioting and property destruction against a number of prisoners."

http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20100817/NEWS01/8170307/1002/rss01

Thief steals policeman's gun, badge, other items -- San Antonio, TX

2010-08-18T03:00:00.001-07:00

Investigators with the U.S. Marshals Service are searching for a thief who broke into a Deputy Marshal's car last Thursday.

The car burglary happened outside the China Sea restaurant near I-10 and Wurzbach Road. Investigators say the thief stole a briefcase containing the policeman's gun, badge, passports, and credit cards among other items.

Investigators do have surveillance images of the man. They say the suspect used the stolen credit cards at an ATM, and used them to buy fuel from a gas station.

"This guy is dangerous," said Tom Smith, a supervisor with U.S. Marshal Services of Southern Texas. "He's probably into drugs. I mean he's pretty bold, and he's got a gun and a badge in his possession. So, we need to get him off the street. We need to get him off the street right away."

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Thief-steals-policemans-gun-and-badge/sj8kNvFU90umdKS0H_XCWw.cspx?rss=68

Flames for school administration offices -- Delta, MO

2010-08-18T02:58:00.001-07:00

Crews continued to clean up after an arson at a southeast Missouri school damaged several administrators' offices.

The state fire marshal and Cape Girardeau have ruled the fire Friday at Delta High School an arson. The fire damaged offices of the principal, secretary, counselor, nurse and the records room. Nearby classrooms also had smoke damage.

Fire restoration crews and electrical contractors were at the school Monday to clean up the school. No suspect has been arrested.

http://www.kplr11.com/news/sns-ap-mo--schoolarson,0,7530895.story

Bikers cause cop to crash, taunt him after wreck -- Tukwila, WA

2010-08-13T02:15:00.000-07:00

Talk about adding insult to injury.

A State Patrol trooper was pinned in his car, dazed and bleeding profusely from a neck injury after a rollover accident, but the first people who stopped by the side of the road didn't help.

Instead, two motorcyclists, who were part of a group the trooper had been chasing before he crashed, clapped and laughed at him Tuesday evening on Interstate 5 in Tukwila, the State Patrol says.

"Seeing a cop down was hysterical to them. They thought it was the funniest thing they ever saw," said Trooper Cliff Pratt, State Patrol spokesman. "They didn't know whether he was going to live or die and they didn't care. That's what makes it so hard to swallow."

After a night at Harborview Medical Center, Trooper Brian Salyer was released Wednesday and is recovering at home. Meanwhile, Pratt said detectives "have good descriptions and a really good idea of the group we are looking for," but declined to release additional details.

The State Patrol offered this account of the incident:

At about 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Salyer spotted a group of about 10 motorcyclists on sports bikes racing over the interchange between southbound Interstate 405 and northbound Interstate 5 at speeds of more than 100 mph.

He attempted to pull them over, but they refused to stop. Salyer narrowed in on the pack's leader, trying to get identifying information from the motorcycle.

As he did, two other bikers in the group cut him off, forcing him to swerve and slam on his brakes.

Salyer lost control of his patrol car on the ramp from I-5 to northbound state Highway 599, struck the guardrail and rolled several times before ending up in a ditch.

As he lay pinned in his wrecked car, at least two of the motorcycle riders pulled up to within 30 feet of his car, got off their bikes and began clapping and laughing. They rode off as other motorists began pulling up to the scene.

Salyer was treated for a concussion, head and neck lacerations and bumps and bruises, the State Patrol said.

According to State Patrol spokeswoman Trooper Christina Martin, witnesses told police that there may have been as many as 60 to 70 riders in the group and that the two that taunted the trooper may have been behind his patrol car during the pursuit, she said.

Even if they weren't speeding, the two riders who taunted the trooper could face charges for failing to summon assistance for an injured person, Pratt said.

According to the state law, a person can be charged with the misdemeanor if he or she was present when a crime was committed, or knew that a person was injured, and failed to call for help.

State Patrol policy on the pursuit of motorcycles is not black and white, Martin said. While it's true that a patrol car cannot typically outrun a sports bike, it is not against policy to pursue riders in some instances.

"Realistically, it's pretty tough to catch them, but every once in a while they stop," said Martin.

According to Pratt, all of the motorcyclists in Tuesday's incident appeared to be riding Japanese sports bikes, which are also known as "crotch rockets" or "cafe-style motorcycles."

In contrast, according to Martin, riders of Harley-Davidson motorcycles generally cause fewer concerns for law enforcement on the roads. "Typically, our Harleys don't cause any trouble. They're riding around trying to be safe," Martin said.

Because the motorcycle-racing groups are "tightknit and don't trust or talk to law enforcement," detectives expect the investigation to take some time, Pratt said.

In addition, Salyer's car was not equipped with a dashboard camera, he said. Pratt said not every patrol car is equipped with a camera because of the $300 to $500 cost.

According to Pratt, troopers frequently encounter speeding motorcycle riders in the summer and they are not limited to riders on their way to impromptu rallies.

"It's a very, very small group, but it makes the rest look bad and casts a dark cloud over the entire sport ... ," said Pratt, who rides a motorcycle. "Their main goal is to go around violating traffic laws and using the highway system as their playground and they don't care if someone lives or dies."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012600509_taunt12m.html

Expensive identity theft for billionaire -- Los Angeles, CA

2010-08-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

A criminal complaint alleges California billionaire Donald Bren has had a $1.4 million tax refund check stolen from him in an identity theft case.

Bren, who is listed by Forbes as the 45th wealthiest man in the world, was allegedly targeted by an unknown man who set up bank accounts in his name earlier this year. Federal court documents allege the man deposited the refund check into one of the accounts before transferring the money out.

He will not be held accountable for the stolen money, which will be taken by the bank or its insurance.

Bren is chairman of the Irvine Co., a private real estate company with an investment portfolio with more than 85 million square feet in Southern California. Bren's reported net worth is $12 billion.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9HCT7AO4.htm

Thieves steal expensive watches, throw expensive watches at cops -- London, England

2010-08-05T15:35:00.000-07:00

Thieves with sledgehammers broke into a jewellers in a south-west London shopping centre and then pelted police with some of the watches they had stolen as they tried to escape.

Items valued at £500,000 were taken from Fraser Hart Jewellers at the Bentall Centre in Kingston upon Thames.

One of the shop's windows was smashed and a security guard was threatened in the raid, at 0030 BST on Wednesday.

Four men have been arrested in connection with the raid.

The suspects escaped on three mopeds and two men are still being sought.
Series of raids

Two men were arrested in Sandy Lane in Sutton, south-west London, after one moped crashed.

A tip-off led to two others being held in Cecil Road, Wimbledon, south-west London, a few hours later.

The four men are aged 21, 23, 26 and 32.

A police helicopter was involved in the search and a large number of the luxury watches have now been found, police said.

The Met believes the men may be linked to a larger criminal gang responsible for several similar raids across London in recent months.

Goods valued at more than £4m have been taken from branches of Watches of Switzerland, Cartier, Dolce and Gabbana, De Beers and Tiffany and Co.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-10865166

A warm goodbye for closed fur farm -- Astoria, OR

2010-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Le communique:

"We delivered eight incendiary devices to the lovely folks at Ylipelto’s Fur Farm, at 92659 Simonsen Loop Road in Astoria on the morning of July 27th. It is nice to see that the enslavement, torture, and death of thousands of innocent creatures affords certain people luxuries like boats, nice cars, and various (expensive, no doubt) 'farm' machinery, and we were more than happy to alleviate them of these. A careful attack sent structures up in flame both in the front and rear of the property, simultaneously. We hope that this can leave an impression on our friends, Veikko & Eeva, that making such a living off of the subjugation of sentient creatures (for something as selfish and disgusting as the fashion industry, no less) will not be tolerated. We hope that others like them will also consider where their priorities lie (the nearby Wilkinson & Stunkard farms, to name a couple), and decide whether or not they’d like to be next.

– Don’t think that you’ve be given a choice; your actions serve as your voice."

http://directaction.info/news_july28_10.htm

Wal-Mart bank robbery -- Galax, TN

2010-08-05T15:32:00.001-07:00

Galax police are searching for suspects in a bank robbery yesterday.

At approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday a female, approximately 5'4" with dirty blonde hair, entered and robbed the Wood Forest National Bank located in the Galax Wal-Mart.

She was wearing blue jeans, a baseball cap, a black t-shirt and white tennis shoes. She discarded the hat and shirt before exiting the Wal-Mart.

Police are also searching for a male wearing heavy coat, blue jeans, mirrored sunglasses and a white baseball cap.

http://www.wcyb.com/pages/7853305.php?contentType=4&contentId=6598784

New courthouse receives damage -- Moncton, Canada

2010-08-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Vandals did more than $10,000 worth of damage to the new Moncton courthouse and construction equipment at that site last weekend.

Codiac Regional RCMP are investigating major vandalism done inside the new Moncton justice centre which is presently under construction. Over $10,000 in damage was done over several floors of the courthouse.

The building has been under construction for some time and is scheduled to be finished in the next few months. Police were called on Tuesday after a construction crew arrived at the scene and discovered the premises had been broken into and vandalized.

Police believe the damage was done sometime between early Saturday morning and Monday afternoon. A window was broken and graffiti was painted on the inside and outside walls of the building.

Also, cabinets and containers of paint were dragged out of the building and thrown off the roof. Many landed on heavy equipment machinery causing extensive damage.

Several floors of the courthouse were damaged in the vandalism spree.

"They just really made a big mess," says Codiac RCMP Const. Chantal Farrah. "They went in there to destroy."

RCMP Forensic Identification experts were called to the scene and seized several items which will be examined.

Department of Justice spokeswoman Erica Parker says it's not known yet if the damage will cause any delays in the project.

"$10,000 is quite a bit of damage, but a lot of the damage is aesthetic, not structural," she says.

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/front/article/1163980

Still more smash n' grabs -- Albany, GA

2010-08-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Smash-and-grab burglars damaged two more Albany businesses early this morning. Store owners say they are frightened and frustrated by repeated break-ins and thefts, that cost them big money.

Thieves smashed out windows at an East Albany billing center and a South Albany convenience store and ransacked both businesses this morning, in what business owners say is an almost everyday crime event.

And it seems no matter how well they fortify their stores, the thieves keep coming back.

Surveillance video from the Albany Deli and Food Mart at South Westover and Oakridge shows a man battering down the front window with a hammer, and heads straight for the Newport cigarettes.

"Yea, it's a mess," Store owner Jolly Singh said. "I got to clean up everything. All that. And I hate to see people doing that."

Across town on Cordele Road, about an hour earlier, a thief threw a cinder block through the double front doors at the Artesian Billing and Computers. He says this crime is out of control.

"It is literally a war zone," CEO Errol Markland said.

Markland put up the two layers of store front, surveillance cameras, alarm systems to discourage these smash and grabs, but the thieves still keep smashing in. Nothing was taken, but it will cost 800 dollars to repair the doors. Markland says the thieves are desperate.

"A lot of people out of work, have to feed their family. Get their children back to school so, there is a need for money, and the only way they can do it without a job is to steal," Markland said.

Markland says despite all his security measures, he keeps his gun close at hand. "My employees are worried. They're scared. They worry about their safety."

The Food Mart bandit stole several cartons of cigarettes, but did hundreds of dollars of damage to the store. Now Singh says he will put iron bars across the front of his business, to try to stop the wave of smash and grab thefts.

Both these businesses have been broken into before. District Attorney Greg Edwards says these smash and grab thieves need to remember, if caught they could spend 25 years in prison, and that is a high price for a few packs of cigarettes.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12933604

College billboard defaced -- West Palm Beach, FL

2010-08-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

If you haven driven east on okeechobee through downtown West Palm Beach to get to your favorite break on the island, I'm sure you've seen the big billboard on the right just before passing Palm Beach Atlantic University. PBA has been promoting the school by how close it is to the beach. It said "FAST LANE, PBA style" and had a skimmer ripping a wave on it. Some though the dude looked like local shredder WILL SMITH. It wasn't. Reguardless, the vandals spray painted "Daddy's $ can't buy you this wave"

The notoriously expensive christian school (20k per semester) said campus security is investigating the crime. Hard to believe nobody was seen climbing up the billboard and spray painting that whole sentence that takes up the entire sign. I mean, Okeechobee is a pretty busy road, even in the middle of the night. Not to mention all the condos around.

http://www.wptv.com/dpp/sports/recreation_sports/surfing_blog/vandals-deface-pba-surf-billboard

University closed after fee hike riots -- Chittagong, Bangladesh

2010-08-05T15:21:00.001-07:00

The Bangladesh's Chittagong University (CU) was closed in the country's second largest city Chittagong, 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, Monday till Sept. 15 following fierce clashes between law enforcers and striking students on the campus.

The university authority at an emergency meeting decided to close the university and asked the male residential students to vacate their dormitories by Monday, and female students by 10:00 a. m. local time on Tuesday, private news agency UNB reported.

At least 100 persons, including 2 police personnel and a journalist, were injured in a series of clashes between police and the striking students on CU campus for four hours Monday morning.

Police charged batons and fired at least fifty tear gas shells to disperse the students.

The law enforcers rounded up at least 70 students after raiding three male dormitories.

A section of the CU students have been protesting since July 26 pressing their three-point demand including cancellation of fee hike.

Thousands of students brought out processions in front of the university's administrative building and the vice-chancellor's office.

Agitating students ransacked almost all faculty buildings, administrative building and IT building and put the science, arts, business studies and social science faculties under lock and key Monday, according to UNB.

The agitating students later damaged at least ten vehicles, including the car of the pro-vice chancellor.

Additional police and Rapid Action Battalion personnel were deployed on the campus to avert any untoward incidents.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/7090417.html

Vandals shoot out police and other car windows -- Kearns, UT

2010-08-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

About a half-dozen cars, including a Unified Police Department vehicle, had their windows shot out sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

"At least four or five vehicles were hit," said UPD Lt. Don Hutson.

The vandalism spree happened along Impressions Drive, near 5500 West, and between 5700 South and 5900 South, Hutson said. Cars parked along the street or in their driveways had their side or rear windows shot out. The back window of a UPD Durango was among the vehicles hit.

"It appears some sort of object was propelled into the windows," Hutson said.

The object may have been bigger than a pellet or BB, he said. Early damage was estimated with in the thousands of dollars.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700053933/Vandals-shoot-out-windows-of-vehicles-including-police-car.html

Armored car heist -- St. Louis, MO

2010-08-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

Heavily armed bandits pulled off a daring armored-car heist early Monday morning in midtown St. Louis and fled with cash, the guards' weapons — and the armored car itself.

The guards were tied up with duct tape and locked in a vault, but police say no one was injured in the 5:30 a.m. holdup Monday inside the armored-car company at 3721 Grandel Square.

The business, ATM Solutions Inc., stocks ATMs around the St. Louis The area is west of the Fox Theater, Grandel Theater and the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The four men, dressed in all black and wearing masks, were armed with assault weapons. The armored car was found abandoned about eight blocks away, but the four robbers are still on the loose, said Police Capt. Mike Caruso, commander of the St. Louis Police Department's 9th District.

"It's certainly alarming, to say the least," Caruso said. "It was carefully planned. They knew what they were doing."

They apparently waited on the lot until the first employee arrived at 5 a.m., police say. They followed him into the gray brick building and took his gun away. They forced him to punch in the security code of the vault, then waited for a second employee, who arrived at about 5:30 a.m. The business requires two employees to punch in codes before gaining access to the money, police said.

"They knew it took two people to get into the vault," Caruso said.

The robbers took several containers of money, which could amount to millions, but police aren't saying how much was taken. They took the keys to one of the company's armored cars on the parking lot, loaded the money containers into the van and drove away.

The guards were rescued about 6 a.m. when a supervisor got to work and found them tied up. That's when they called police.

The parking lot has several surveillance cameras. Police were reviewing those tapes.

Police dispatchers broadcasting an alert for police in other jurisdictions said the robbers took a 2008 Ford Econoline van that had been modified to be used as an armored car. But that van was found about 7:30 a.m. in the 4400 block of Evans Street.

The van says "ATM Solutions" on the side. ATM Solutions Inc., based in Cincinnati, is an armored car company that replenishes ATMs. Police initially thought a second vehicle, an orange Scion, might be involved. Witnesses had seen the car idling nearby before the robbery.

One of the robbers was said to be armed with a small Uzi. Another had an AR15 rifle, and two carried .45-caliber semiautomatic handguns.

The guards' weapons were also taken: .38-caliber revolvers.

No shots were fired, but one of the robbers emptied live rounds from the guard's weapon onto the ground outside the building, Caruso said.

Paul Scott, a spokesman for ATM Solutions' headquarters in Cincinnati, declined comment on the robbery. He said it was too early in the investigation to make a comment.

The FBI and the St. Louis Police Department are working together on the investigation.

Police also recovered a black Pontiac Grand Am about 10:30 a.m. Monday in the 3700 block of Martin Luther King Drive. Police aren't sure if it's connected to the robbery.

This robbery is similar to the still-unsolved robbery at the United Missouri Bank in downtown St. Louis on Oct. 23, 1992. In that case, a Brinks Inc. guard was wheeling a dolly loaded with bags of cash from the bank vault to an armored truck. He was forced at gunpoint into a dark room and tied up with tape.

After that 1992 holdup, the robbers took an elevator to a 13th-floor restroom in the adjoining 20-story Equitable Building, 10 South Broadway, where they left white coveralls they had worn in the holdup.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/article_46b7ff9e-9e2f-11df-9608-0017a4a78c22.html

A small update

2010-07-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

I've decided to occasionally include some international news from now on. Though I still want to keep the focus of this blog on the happenings of the United States and there are several other sites which do an excellent job of reporting on the events of other countries (see some of the links to the right,) these are often limited to purely anarchist attacks and don't always carry news of the more generalized events of socail war.

Lastly, thanks to those of you who have contributed articles, communiques, etc. You can always leave news items in a comment or if you prefer a little more anonymity, shoot an email to artculturework at riseup dot net.

Riot in small town after traveler is killed -- Saint-Aignan, France

2010-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Three hundred soldiers are patrolling a normally tranquil village in France's Loire Valley after dozens of armed travellers clashed with police.

The riot erupted on Sunday morning in Saint-Aignan after a gendarme had shot and killed a traveller who had driven through a checkpoint, officials said.

Travellers armed with hatchets and iron bars then attacked the village police station and hacked down trees.

They also toppled traffic lights and road signs and burned three cars.

"It was a settling of scores between the travellers and the gendarmerie," said the village mayor, Jean-Michel Billon.

He said the travellers also pillaged a bakery in the village. Just 3,400 people live in the village in a popular tourist region of central France.

Dangerous driver

Prosecutors quoted by the French TV channel TF1 said a traveller called Luigi had failed to stop at a police checkpoint on Friday night and had dragged a gendarme on the car bonnet for 500 metres (yards).

The gendarme escaped with only minor injuries. As the driver approached a second checkpoint he accelerated towards two gendarmes, one of whom opened fire.

The car continued on to Saint-Romain-sur-Cher, where the driver's body was later recovered, the prosecutors said.

Luigi had picked up another traveller after the first checkpoint, the TF1 report said. It is not yet clear why Luigi had tried to flee the gendarmes.

In separate rioting at the weekend, youths clashed with police in the Alpine city of Grenoble.

Four men were arrested in a dawn raid on Sunday after they allegedly fired at police during a riot early on Saturday in the suburb of Villeneuve.

The rioting was triggered by the death of 27-year-old Karim Boudouda, who was shot by police on Thursday during a chase.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10681796

Air conditioning units removed from stores -- San Francisco, CA

2010-07-26T20:15:00.001-07:00

Jerry Young did a double take on his way into work at the Sprint store and JC Penney Catalog Center on Route 34 in Derby Thursday.

The giant air conditioning unit for the building was missing from the front of the retail shops.

“As I was walking in I said ‘Something is missing,’” Young said.

He’s not the only one: There’s been a rash of commercial air conditioners thefts in the Valley, specifically Ansonia, police said.

“It’s not just any Tom, Dick or Harry stealing these air conditioners,” Young said. “They’re familiar with getting around, getting the power off. Supposedly they’re getting it off without spilling the freon.”

Police said some entire units — which typically measure about 3 feet by 3 feet — were stolen.

But in most cases, the thieves are removing the exterior casing, cutting the electrical power supply and stealing the internal systems/copper tubing, Williams said. Police believe they might be doing it to get cash for the scrap parts.

Ansonia police Monday issued an alert to downtown businesses to be on the look out for anything suspicious.

“During the past six weeks, the Ansonia Police Department has received several complaints regarding the tampering with and theft of business air conditioning systems,” Lt. Wayne Williams said in an e-mail. “The suspects are accessing both ground units and rooftop units.”

Derby reported one theft — the one at the JC Penny store — and Seymour police said they had a similar theft several months ago at the Tri-Town Plaza buildings, which are vacant.

Lt. Justin Stanko said Derby police are sharing information with area departments and are trying to develop a suspect.

Ansonia had six reported thefts in the downtown area, including the building at 158 Main St, where the Valley Indy office is located.

The others were businesses on Main and East Main streets in Ansonia, including Banko’s music shop.

The thieves are brazen enough to steal during the day, Williams said.

One man, a white male in his 30s with a stocky build and short brown hair, was observed carrying a unit in a cart in Ansonia.

He told a witness he was performing maintenance on the system, Williams said.

The unit had probably just been stolen from 200 Main St., police said.

The units range in cost from $2,000 to $12,000 to replace, Williams said.

Williams said the police department has increased downtown patrols in response to the thefts.

http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/air_conditioner_thefts_in_the_valley

Churchgoers' cars set on fire during service -- Columbia, SC

2010-07-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

People leaving a church service in Anderson County walked out to find their cars had been set on fire.

According to the Hopewell Fire Department, 8 cars caught fire and 4 others were damaged in the New Springs Church parking lot Sunday morning.

Church was in service during the blaze, officials said.

At this time the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=91563

Jewelry store smash n' grab -- Keizer, OR

2010-07-26T20:12:00.000-07:00

A thief smashed a window at a local jewelry store to get inside and then made off with several expensive items.

The burglary happened late Sunday evening at Boucher Jewelry, located in the 4900 block of River Road North.

According to the Keizer Police Department, an estimated $10,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. When officers arrived the thief had already fled the scene. A K9 officer tracked the scent to an adjacent parking lot where tire tracks were found. Police say it appeared the thief took off from that location in a vehicle.

http://salem.katu.com/content/10000-worth-jewelry-stolen-smash-and-grab

Darth Vader robs bank -- Long Island, NY

2010-07-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

When a six-foot man strode into a Long Island bank yesterday dressed as sci-fi super villain Darth Vader, customers and staff thought it was a joke.

But they soon realised how serious the man was when he produced a handgun and demanded cash.

Police in New York are now trying to trace the phantom menace, who stuffed cash into a bag and disappeared.

The man entered the Chase Bank in East Setauket around 11:30am, wearing the distinctive Darth Vader mask, a long black cloak and - slightly out of character - camouflage combat trousers.

One customer thought the outfit was so funny that he started joking with the dark lord as he tried to pull off his heist.

Suffolk County Police Detective Sergeant William Lamb said: 'The customer thought it might have been a joke, and not a serious attempt at a robbery.'

But staff and customers were left in no doubt when the man then produced a handgun from a bag and screamed, 'This is not a joke' to cashiers.

Police have released CCTV images of the man stuffing the money into a drawstring bag featuring a New York Yankees logo.

As he left the robber punched another customer who tried to stop him.

The bank was still checking its drawers last night to figure out how large his take was, Detective Lamb said.

It was the second recent off-the-wall bank robbery. On Wednesday, the NYPD arrested a man dubbed the 'Bouquet Bandit', who acquired his unusual nickname after bringing flowers and potted plants into the banks he robbed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1297087/Darth-Vader-robs-bank-Armed-man-demands-cash-New-York-raid.html

String of smash n' grabs -- Burien, WA

2010-07-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

A serious burglary problem is plaguing Burien - with more than a dozen smash-and-grab burglaries in the past month or so.

The victims are all small business owners trying to make a go of it in the slow economy. And they have to spend more money fixing broken windows than replacing what the thieves grabbed and got away with.

Cinder blocks went through the windows of Star Nails and its next door neighbor - Happy Garden.

The thieves took only a candy machine from the nail salon - but hauled the entire cash register out of the restaurant.

"It's real easy to smash out a window with the glass on the front door, run, scoop out what you want - and go," says Sgt. John Urquhart of the King County Sheriff's Office.

"What's unusual about this particular rash is that we've had so many - 13 in a month's time - and they're all in the same geographic area," he adds.

Every business hit has a glass store front, and most are either on First Avenue South or Ambaum Boulevard, in Burien.

Thieves found the concrete they needed to break into the Burien Oil Change Express - right out front. It was a lot of work for just $25 left inside.

And at B Town burgers, owner Mario Pieris told KOMO News the thieves took $150 out of his cash register - but it cost him $400 to fix the front door they smashed.

"Whoever did it has got this thing down to a science," says Mario.

Urquhart says, "There's not a whole lot of risk. ... They don't care about alarms - by the time the alarm goes off and the police show up they're long gone."

Burien's police chief says the thieves do it either to get cash for food or drugs.

Now business owners there are doing more to protect themselves.

"We've been more careful with our closing procedures and opening procedures as well," says Mario.

Police say they are working on leads - but wouldn't release any details.

http://www.komonews.com/news/99145449.html

Arson attempt at marines recruiting station -- State College, PA

2010-07-26T20:07:00.001-07:00

State College police said it appears someone tried to set a rear door on fire at 242 S. Fraser St., which houses the Marine Corps Recruiting Center in State College.

The incident, which occurred sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning, was reported early Thursday. Police said the door was charred, but failed to catch fire and the damage was minimal.

The incident comes as police are investigating what they say are an unusual number of nuisance fires in recent months, including a fire Sunday morning that destroyed a police car parked behind the State College Municipal Building on Allen Street.

http://www.centredaily.com/2010/07/23/2111101/arson-attempt-reported-at-marine.html

Shotguns stolen from police station -- Gallaway, TN

2010-07-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

Police issued shotguns were stolen from a local police station over the weekend.

The City of Gallaway is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest of the person behind stealing the guns.

Saturday between 12:00 pm and 7:00 pm, someone threw a brick through a window of the unoccupied police department. The burglar unlocked a door through the broken window and kicked in another door.

After gaining entry to the building, the suspect stole several Remington 12-gauge shotguns and a taser gun.

A full inventory of weapons was scheduled to be conducted.

http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/local/072610-guns-stolen-from-mid-south-police-station

ATM Stolen from restaurant -- Portland, OR

2010-07-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

An ATM was stolen from a restaurant on Southeast Powell Boulevard early Monday morning, police said.

Portland Police Bureau spokeswoman Mary Wheat said officers responded to an alarm at The Original Taco House, located at Southeast 35th Avenue and Powell Boulevard, and found the restaurant's doors noticeably damaged.

Officers also said the restaurant's stand-alone ATM had been stolen.

Wheat said they haven't made any arrests in the burglary and have no suspect information.

Nate Waddle, the owner of the restaurant, said the theft was unsettling.

"It really breaches your sense of security, knowing that something you've worked hard for all your life and somebody can just come in and rip you off," Waddle said.

http://www.kptv.com/news/24396879/detail.html

Letter bomb for oil exec family -- Houston, TX

2010-07-17T13:50:00.001-07:00

Houston police and federal authorities confirmed Tuesday that a pipe bomb sent to the home of a local oil executive was meant for his wife and not him.

Vennie Wolf, 58, was injured Friday evening when she opened a shoebox-size package that shot out shrapnel and nails.

As they chased leads, officials Tuesday said they believed the incident in northwest Houston was an isolated one. But they refused to discuss the investigation's progress or why Wolf may have been targeted by the bomb.

"It's an ongoing investigation," said Rob Elder, assistant special agent in charge at the Houston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is looking into what happened along with the Houston Police Department.

Curiosity won out

The package had arrived outside Wolf's home in the 2100 block of Seamist Court a few weeks earlier.

Authorities do not think the package was brought there by the U.S. Postal Service, but they're not saying where it came from.

Wolf was hesitant to open the package when it arrived because she didn't know who it was from, officials said, but she later opened it out of curiosity.

Wolf was taken to Memorial Hermann-Northwest Hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. She was later released and is now recuperating, police said.

Speculation about the bombing has run rampant in Wolf's neighborhood, which neighbors said has always been quiet and safe.

Some neighbors said the box had arrived disguised as a box of chocolates, but police declined to confirm that.

The shutters were drawn at the home Wolf owns with her husband, James Brock Moore III, and no one answered the door Tuesday.

Moore did not return a phone message at Adams Resources Exploration Corp., where he has been president since 1998.

Wolf and Moore appear to have kept a low profile in Houston. The couple is listed in University of Houston records as making a small donation to the university's engineering program, which Moore graduated from in 1964.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7106591.html

Police officer killed with own gun -- Chicago, IL

2010-07-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

A Chicago police officer working a detail dedicated to addressing youth violence was shot and killed when a man grabbed the officer's gun and shot him outside a police building in the Englewood neighborhood.

The officer was leaving the facility at 61st Street and Racine Avenue about 3:45 p.m. and was walking to a parking lot when he got into a struggle with a 24-year-old man who disarmed the officer and shot him, Assistant Supt. James Jackson said.

The man then tried to rob someone at gunpoint a short distance away, Jackson said. Officers from the facility heard shots and exchanged gunfire with the suspect and shot him, Jackson said.

Preliminary reports say the officer was shot in the head.

The suspect was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where a group of uniformed and plainclothes officers stood outside the entrance of the emergency room this evening.

Calvin Jefferson, 28, said the suspect is his brother and was in critical but stable condition after being shot in the chest. "I'm still shocked," said Jefferson, adding that his brother has always been a bit of a loner who is secretive and didn't talk much to others.

The slain officer was 43 and an 11-year veteran, according to Jackson. Friends said he was married but had no children. Police were not releasing his name because some relatives had not been notified yet.

The officer was typically an instructor at the training academy, but was operating out of 61st and Racine as part of Operation Protect Youth.

"If your son or daughter came on the job, he's the guy you'd want to train them," said Assistant Deputy Supt. Matthew Tobias, who used to run the academy. "He understood what the oath meant. He understood what a priviledge it was to wear the uniform of a Chicago police officer."

The shooting left those who knew the officer stunned by the sudden loss.

"I want people to know that he's a great man and gave the Chicago Police a great name," said Mazen Istanbouli, a DePaul professor and close friend of the officer. "He was a giver, he never thought of himself and always thought of others."

Istanbouli, who is blind, said the officer helped him train and competed by his side in triathlons.

Istanbouli said the two had known each other for about three years. Istanbouli said the officer accompanied him to the New York City and Chicago triathalons, running and biking and swimming alongside him and serving as his guide.

The two most recently ran together at a run for fallen police officers in Chicago this spring. Just today, Istanbouli said, he brought up the officer's name because he wanted the officer to accompany him at an upcoming bicycle race.

Istanbouli recalled the officer's humility, particularly after they ran a race and Istanbouli tried to thank him: "He said, 'I'm doing this for you not for me, I don't need the medal, I'm doing it for you.' He helped me out with training and he helped me out throughout the process with swimming and running and biking, the whole thing we did everything."

He said his friend is always in his mind when he hears about police tragedies because "police officers' lives are always out there. It's just shocking."

Police officers and family gathered outside the slain officer's home on the South Side this evening. Police guarding the door to the family's home said relatives would have no comment.

The officer's body was taken to the Cook County medical examiner's office, where an autopsy is scheduled Thursday. An office spokesman would not provide any other details of the officer.

Around 8:30 p.m., officers held blue and white umbrellas over the slain officer's family as they pulled up to their home and walked through the rain to their front door.

Cheri Ricardo, 41, said she lives across the street from the police building and heard about 10 gunshots, but didn't think too much about it because the neighborhood has been growing more violent despite the police presence.

Ricardo, who has six children, said there are a lot of kids in the neighborhood. She has lived across from the police building for about two years, and she said the police building, along with another police facility, hasn't helped reduce violence.

"This neighborhood is exactly what it is, it's wild," said Ricardo. "That police station in my opinion did not stop any immediate crime in this neighborhood. ... It's not doing any good."

She said gang members in the area are "bad and bold, they do not care and have no respect or anything. They still shoot up and down the street when they want to."

The Independent Police Review Authority, which investigates shootings involving Chicago police officers, were gathering evidence on the scene this evening, said IPRA spokesman Mark Smith.

Police said the suspect has an extensive criminal history. Cook County court records show he has been arrested more than a dozen times over the years, mainly for possession of cannabis.

Most of those cases were dismissed, except for a 2006 case when he pleaded guilty to possession and received two years probation. In May of 2009, he pleaded guilty to marijuana possession and received one year of conditional discharge, which he completed satisfactorily on May 21.

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Officer-Down-News/Chicago-Officer-Killed-Outside-Police-Facility/2$53340

Thieves strike country club members -- Kingwood, TX

2010-07-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

A rash of crimes is occurring at a place meant for relaxation, and now it has some members on edge. In the past three months, there have been several car burglaries at the Kingwood Country Club.

Police are actively pursuing leads. One thing they know for sure is that it appears the thieves are staking out their targets before they strike.

At the Kingwood Country Club, some members admit the sense of security here is so real that it's easy to get complacent.

"We think sometimes we're in a little bubble here in Kingwood," club member Laurel Erickson said.

But that bubble may have burst after a rash of smash and grab car burglaries. Nearly a dozen have been reported in the last three months -- all in broad daylight.

"They could just stand around until no one is out here," club member Lisa Moyer said. "I'm sure it's easy."

What's more is that the thieves seem to know which vehicles have valuables left inside of them. Some members seem to be more vulnerable than others.

"Lots of moms toting around three kids like I am today and maybe being a little distracted," member Jill Whtie said.

It's a crime of opportunity. While they've had a security officer in the past, the country club is banking on its members and employees to be more vigilant.

Management believes it's more effective.

"These guys are not deterred by seeing a security guard in the area," said Mike Feild with the Kingwood County Club."They wait for him to leave, and then they hit, and they're gone."

Using our exclusive CrimeTracker, Eyewitness News found that car burglaries in Kingwood were up slightly, to 8 percent, through May of this year. These crimes are not isolated to just the country club.

"We go look to see if they're any clues and then we go investigate and figure out," Houston Police Department Lt. C Brown said. "We've had a fair amount of success in things like that."

Police are warning residents to take these crimes seriously and not to leave any valuables in plain sight -- even if they plan on being away from their vehicles for just a few minutes.

"You have to value your things," said Marilyn Foil. "You have to take care of them."

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=7554728

"Burly bandit" robs several banks -- USA

2010-07-14T19:00:00.001-07:00

Law enforcement officials are seeking the public's help in apprehending a man they believe is responsible for a total of 10 bank robberies in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

The heavyset man, dubbed by the FBI the "Burly Bandit," concealed his face in different ways in each heist. He has used sunglasses, a wig, and hats, including a cowboy hat, officials said.

He has threatened to kill bank tellers and brandished a weapon. He is considered armed and dangerous, the FBI said in a statement.

The man is described as white, in his late 40s to early 50s, about 6 feet tall, weighing 250 to 300 pounds, with short brown hair.

The bank robberies happened in Darien and Somers, Conn.; Warwick, R.I.; Merrrimack, Hampstead, and Londonderry, N.H., and Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Fitchburg, and North Attleboro, Mass. from April 12 to July 2.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/bank_robber_all.html

ALF sets fire to restaurant -- Sandy, UT

2010-07-14T18:57:00.001-07:00

The fire at the Tiburon restaurant was small but enough to shut the place down.

"We don't know if they forced their way in or found an unlocked door," said Sandy Police Sergent Troy Arnold.

Overnight, ABC 4 News received this e-mail....It said, "The ALF (animal liberation front) is watching and there is nowhere to hide. The arson at the Tiburon restaurant in Sandy Utah was done because of there (sic) sale of Foie Gras (young duck) and other 'wild game'. Animals exist for there (sic) own purposes, not human ends. Go Vegan! ALF Lonewolf."

A spokesperson for ALF says the menu is a big problem with activists, "This is not a delicacy. It's nothing more than animal cruelty and animal abuse served on a plate."

ABC 4 News took the e-mail to Sandy Police, "Anytime we have a fire, particularly something that might be an arson and someone actually claims responsibility for it, it's concerning for the police department. We're going to take this information you brought to us seriously," said Sgt. Arnold.

Detectives took down clues that may lead to the identity of the so-called "Lonewolf". It's the third time Lonewolf has surfaced following a fire. The Tandy Leather Store in Salt Lake City and a Denver sheepskin shop were fires in which Lonewolf claimed it was done to save animals.

"Activists feel like they're in a position where their voices can't be heard, and as long as their voices can't be heard people will find other ways to get the message across," says spokesperson for ALF.

http://www.abc4.com/mostpopular/story/Animal-activist-claims-responsibility-for-arson/D2t5PetIw02Xkf3vFjM8qA.cspx

Copper thieves score big -- Fort Myers, FL

2010-07-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Thieves caused $100,000 damage while stealing copper coils from air conditioners at a vacant Cape Coral shopping center.

The theft and damage was reported Tuesday at the center at 1843 N.E. Pine Island Road.

Property manager Sharon Stamper told police that she found holes in the roof of the vacant Circuit City store.

She said copper coils were removed from eight air conditioners in the store.

The thieves also broke into adjacent vacant stores and took copper coils out of four more air conditioners, Stamper said.

She said it will cost $100,000 to replace the air conditioning units.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20100714/CRIME/100714029/1075/Copper-thieves-cause--100-000-damage-to-vacant-Cape-Coral-store

Flames for new city hall -- Olympia, WA

2010-07-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

An apparent anti-police arsonist entered the new City Hall, used some kind of chemical accelerant and set fire to a stack of construction materials, causing an undetermined amount of damage and setting back a $35.6 million project that had been on schedule.

Firefighters were called to the four-story building under construction in the 600 block of Fourth Avenue East at 5:34 a.m. Thursday. They put the fire out within minutes, but the damage was done. The fire, though confined to one room, spread smoke through the building, blackening new drywall. It also melted wiring on the first and second floors.

It’s unclear when the fire was started, but it was after workers had quit for the day on Wednesday.

The fire was set in what will become the police department’s squad room, said Rick Dougherty, project manager for the new City Hall.

“(Expletive) PIGS” was spraypainted in red on one of the walls outside the room where the fire started.

“To think it was caused by someone deliberately is really disappointing,” City Manager Steve Hall said. “We don’t know a whole lot yet about how it started … or when.”

No one at the scene was injured. Police were investigating the fire as suspicious.

Construction workers arriving on the job Thursday morning discovered the blaze and called 911. The Olympia Fire Department was dispatched at 5:34 a.m. and arrived at 5:37 a.m. The fire was reported out at 5:49 a.m.

An estimate of the damage probably won’t be ready until today, Dougherty said. Investigators were expected to be on the site Thursday from insurance companies for both the city and the contractor, Hoffman Construction.

Dougherty said he didn’t want to speculate about how long the fire would set the project back. No work was done on the site while fire and police departments investigated. City employees were expected to move into the new City Hall at the beginning of next year.

Dougherty said it was the second attempt in two days to set a part of the site ablaze. On Wednesday, a Hoffman employee discovered that someone had tried to set fire to a construction trailer where the company has makeshift offices. The small fire singed the corner of the trailer but did no significant damage.

Cmdr. Tor Bjornstad said police had been made aware of that fire, and had stepped up patrols Wednesday night in the area. He said police would remain on alert. Private security and surveillance cameras may be brought in, he said.

Such anti-police sentiments are not uncommon among vandals.

“We get a lot of anti-police graffiti,” Bjornstad said.

Dougherty said that there have been minor incidents of vandalism at the site before — some construction signs tagged or stolen. But nothing serious.

“It’s a rough neighborhood,” he said. The new City Hall is being built there, in part, to change that, he said.

The fire won’t affect plans for street improvements around the building, Dougherty said. The right-turn-only lane on Fourth Avenue to Plum Street will remain closed from Jefferson Street to just past the Chestnut Street intersection. Parking on the south side of Fourth Avenue between Jefferson Street and Plum Street will be restricted.

By Thursday afternoon, police still had no suspects, Bjornstad said.

“I think our best hope is a tip of some kind,” he said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olympia police made an arrest today in connection with an apparent arson fire that caused damage to the new City Hall Thursday.

Olympia police made an arrest today in connection with an apparent arson fire that caused damage to the new City Hall Thursday.

According to a news release:

Joshua A. Stacy, a 20-year-old transient, was arrested on two counts of second-degree arson and two counts of second-degree burglary. Olympia police detectives arrested Stacy after receiving information from the state Department of Corrections that Stacy, a Level III sex offender who wears a GPS monitoring device, was at the scene of the arson.

Stacy has a conviction as a juvenile for reckless burning.

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/09/1299829/arrest-made-in-olympia-city-hall.html

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/07/09/1298325/suspicious-fire-causes-minor-damage.html

Grocery store smash n' grab -- Alapaha, GA

2010-07-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

Authorities are searching for two smash and grabbers who broke into an Alapaha grocery before dawn Tuesday.

They shattered a glass door. Investigators say one of them turned off the the surveillance camera system, but not before they were caught on tape. We have the video to show you.

If you look in the corner of the screen you see one suspect run in. Berrien County authorities believe that person unplugged the video survelliance system at the Alapaha Station Food Depot. Before the video was stopped, they were caught on tape. The second suspect runs in jumps over the counter wearing a white hoodie and a bag on his shoulder.

"It's kind of a hot spot right here," said T.J. Griffin of Glass Unlimited.

The man looks around for money and then jumps back over the counter. Berrien County authorities say $1,000 was stolen in cash and coins.

"We've replaced a lot of broken glass in the front and a lot on the doors so we stay here a good bit," said Griffin.

Griffin says they've come out to repair glass here several times in a last seven years.

Pieces of glass are swept up. The burglars threw a brick through the door that completely shattered the glass.

"When they want to get in they'll use what they can to get in and it creates a lot of damage," said Griffin.

Rita Green of Green restaurant which is across the street from the Food Depot says someone's tried to break in the back door of the restaurant.

"It's just too many people breaking into other folks stuff," said Green. "It just needs to be stopped."

Investigators believe the suspects in the Food Depot burglary are customers of the store but they haven't identified them yet.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=12801475

Serial bank robber strikes again -- Atlanta, GA

2010-07-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Police are searching for a suspect in a series of area bank robberies. On Thursday, they released photos of the man, whom they say hit another bank earlier in the day.

Thursday morning’s robbery took place at the Chase Bank located at 3695 Cascade Road in Atlanta.

Police believe Thursday’s robbery is connected to two other robberies at the same Chase Bank on Cascade Road. One of them took place on April 22, 2010. During that robbery, police say the man presented a note and was armed with a handgun. He got away with an undisclosed amount of money, and police say he fled in a burgundy car.

The suspect in the April robbery was described as a black male in his late 20s to mid 30s who is between 6’0” and 6’2” tall. He was about 200 pounds with a stocky build, and he was wearing a black and gold Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap, tan colored polo-style shirt, and dark pants.

Police say a second robbery took place at the bank on June 10, 2010 at about 10:53 am. They say the bank was robbed by a black man in his late 20s to early 30s who is between 5’6” and 5’9” tall. He is 220-230 pounds with a stocky build, and was wearing a red baseball cap, a black t-shirt with a design on the front showing two large, multi-colored hand prints with the world ‘COOGI,’ black pants, and black sneakers.

In that robbery, the suspect presented a demand note and displayed a black semi-automatic hand gun. Police say the got away with an undisclosed amount of cash in a silver mini-van with multiple bumper stickers on the back.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/atlanta-police-seek-serial-bank-robber-20100714-pm-es

Solidarity for Oscar Grant -- USA

2010-07-14T18:22:00.001-07:00

Police car attacked -- Tacoma, WA

A Tacoma police patrol car was vandalized early today parked outside the officer's North End home, the department reported.

The car's windows were smashed out and three of the tires slashed. The vandals spraypainted the rear panel and trunk area with the words, "Oscar Grant was here," Tacoma police spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

The officer interrupted the vandals, who ran off. A police dog searched the area but didn't find the suspects, Fulghum said.

The vandals were described as men wearing hooded sweatshirts. The patrol car was towed to Tacoma police headquarters for processing, Fulghum said.

The graffiti was a reference to the fatal shooting of Grant in California early on Jan. 1, 2009. He was not armed. The officer was found not guilty of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter Thursday. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

The verdict led to protests and scores of arrests overnight in Oakland.

http://blog.thenewstribune.com/crime/2010/07/09/tacoma-patrol-car-vandalized/#comments#ixzz0tDz4oPOj

----------------

Black bloc throws down -- Portland, OR

At 10pm protesters marched from Peninsula Park occupying the streets and demonstrating against the police as a result of the verdict given to Oakland Police Officer Johannes Mehserle who killed Oscar Grant January 1st 2009.

Oakland BART police officer Johannes Mehserle fired a single shot in Oscar Grant's back and proceeded to handcuff him as he lay down in his own blood. What made this case so important is the overwhelming amount of evidence that was take by bystanders at the time. Although the police made every effort to confiscate any footage that would incriminate them and sweep yet another brutal case under the carpet, footage spread all over the internet and made the mainstream media. Riots ensued in the following days in Oakland and the police were unable to control the situation, forcing the Mayor and District Attorney to arrest and charge Mehserle.

Today Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and not 2nd degree murder, or 1st degree murder as many would have desired. Portlanders mobilised at short notice to speak out against the police and the fresh verdict, marching to Martin Luther King Boulevard from the park shouting, "ACAB - All coppers are bastards" amongst other terms. The police were all over the scene, monitoring beforehand from afar as people gathered for the event. A number of windows were smashed at a Bank of America on Martin Luther King Blvd. and at Portland Community College - Cascades Campus. At all times the police urged the protesters to move on to the sidewalk or they would be arrested whilst two bike cops led the plethora of police cars.

At one point I was threatened with arrest for taking a picture in the street and was told to move immediately away from the scene. It seems that press freedom is not on the cards for the police here, and this is an important issue if people are to know what is really going on in their local town or community. (See Vol. XXX, Issue 2 of The Portland Alliance for an article relating to Fortune 500 corporations owning all American Wire services).

Oakland is now in the eyes of America for the wrong reasons at a time when budget cuts in California will see many loose their jobs on the Oakland police force. The verdict today is another loss for communities against the police and the brutal tactics they choose to employ in the line of duty.

The protesters split up fairly rapidly at the end and at least 3 arrests were made.

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2010/07/400889.shtml

----------------

Police substation receives graffiti -- Seatle, WA

Communique:

"Concerned community members from Seattle and Olympia took to the streets of Seattle, WA outraged over the verdict of "involuntary manslaughter" in the murder of Oscar Grant by Oakland Police officer Johannes Mehserle.

Many of you may be familiar of the case of the black teenager who was punched by a seattle officer for jaywalking. If not, a little background: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/421842_cop16.html

This comes on the heels of another video taped outrage at the hands of an SPD officer, this time with a Mexican "suspect":
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/420113_protest16.html

However, [some of] the people are fighting back: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2011323989_monfort12m.html

Tell a friend..."

----------------

Police substation also receives a sledgehammer -- Seattle, WA

Our news partners at The Seattle Times are reporting that the SPD drop-in location at 23rd and Union suffered its second violent attack within a week when a man and woman broke out three windows with a sledgehammer:

"At least four witnesses called 911 just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday to report hearing loud thuds as two people swung sledgehammers at the windows of the substation at the corner of 23rd Avenue and East Union Street, said police spokesman Jeff Kappel."

The suspects were spotted near 25th & Cherry, ID'd by the witnesses, and arrested for felony malicious mischief.

Last week protesters left anti-cop graffiti on the building following the California verdict against a police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man.

http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/11737

----------------

Police car attacked -- Santa Cruz, CA

The communique:

"R.I.P. Oscar Grant

On Friday night, we attacked an unmarked police car parked in the Seabright neighborhood, slashing all of its tires & breaking 4 of its windows. The message left on the car, "RIP Oscar", speaks for more than one victim of police violence, but for all of us who suffer under a police state.

From Oakland to Sac-Town,
The Bay Area and back down,
WAR ON THE PIGS"

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/07/12/18653628.php

----------------

Police vehicles attacked -- Baltimore, MD

Le communique:

Early this morning in Baltimore, we defaced three police vehicles with slashed tires, spray paint, and feces on door handles & through an open window to say 'Fuck you'

and to express solidarity with the mobs rioting and looting in Oakland after the Oscar Grant verdict, and the 80+ people arrested there.

http://anarchistnews.org/?q=node/11699

Oscar Grant verdict leads to looting, vandalism, arson -- Oakland

2010-07-09T01:49:00.000-07:00

The agitators have struck again.

After about three hours of passionate but largely peaceful protests by hundreds of people who converged on downtown Oakland late Thursday afternoon, a splinter group of protesters, many wearing masks, egged on the crowd and ran through the streets breaking store windows, looting and setting fires before police moved in with flash-bang grenades.

People started pouring into the intersection at 14th Street and Broadway after the surprisingly quick verdict in the Johannes Mehserle trial. The former BART police officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of Oscar Grant III on Jan. 1, 2009.

Police officers, while visible and prepared, allowed the crowd of about 1,000 to block the street and set up a podium. One after the other, speakers grabbed a bullhorn to express grief and anger. Many urged the crowd to keep the protest peaceful, and by 8 p.m. there were only a few arrests for fighting with police and instances of rocks being thrown by a smaller group that tried unsuccessfully to march down Broadway toward police headquarters.

But all that changed after dark. By 10:30 violent protesters had left a trail of destruction down Broadway and throughout Uptown, smashing windows and looting. They hit Foot Locker and Sears -- even ripping clothing from mannequins. Windows were smashed at Far East National Bank, Luka's Taproom, Ozumo Japanese, Oaksterdam University, Oakland Coin and Jewelry Exchange, Whole Foods, Grace Beauty Supply, JC Jewelry, the Acura dealership showroom, Wells Fargo, California Bank and Trust, US Bank and Bank of the West. There had been 50 arrests, and anticipating many more.

Stephen Allen, a 22-year-old protester from West Oakland, got caught near a mob that broke through the gate of the Foot Locker shoe store and looted the store of sneakers and sportswear. Moments later, a masked man, in one swift and violent blow with a long object, broke the window of the Far East National Bank across the street.

"Before the sun went down I was happy with everything," Allen said. "It's no longer about Oscar Grant. The people who went in there and came out with shoes; that's not about Oscar Grant anymore. What we had before the sun went down, that was justice. This is just pure stupidity."

Councilmember Larry Reid echoed those sentiments.

"I just hope it doesn't get any worse that what it's been so far. This certainly is not peace or justice for Oscar," said Reid, shortly after police cleared 14th Street and Broadway.

City and law enforcement officials, religious leaders and community organizers had for weeks urged a calm, peaceful response to the verdict. Recreation centers, churches and other nonprofit groups had opened their doors to allow people to gather and express their feelings without resorting to the same sort of violence that left a trail of smashed windows and other property damage downtown during protests in January 2009.

The city had prepared for the worst, though for a while it looked as if it might not be necessary. Many downtown merchants boarded up their windows days in advance of the verdict, and downtown businesses and local, state and federal offices sent their employees home as soon as it was announced. Several law enforcement agencies pledged their support and trained with Oakland police in past weeks.

During the evening, a phalanx of officers stationed at 11th Street and Broadway contained the crowd and prevented it from spreading. The Fruitvale BART station, where Grant was killed, was quiet. As a precautionary measure, the CHP closed down freeway onramps and offramps at Sixth Street and Broadway to prevent protesters from getting onto the freeway.

Grant's grandfather, who lives in Oakland, came downtown to be with the peaceful crowd. He called on the community not to "dishonor his grandson" with violence.

"I don't like the verdict but there are ways to deal with it without being violent," he said. "I do not want (people to use) violence to try and solve the verdict that happened today."

The African-American community has been galvanized since the fatal shooting of Grant, 22, an unarmed black man from Hayward who was with a group of friends heading back from attending New Year's Eve festivities in San Francisco when they were pulled from a BART train at the Fruitvale station in Oakland after a fight.

The actual shooting was recorded in photos and videos taken on numerous cell phones. One such photograph, of Mehserle as he stood with his Taser drawn, was snapped by Grant himself as he sat against the wall on the platform minutes before he was shot.

In a news conference at the city's Office of Emergency Services, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums said he would stand with Grant's family if they weren't satisfied with the verdict and wanted to explore other options for trying to seek justice.

Dellums thanked the community for responding in a "passionate and (verbally) aggressive, but peaceful way." He said people have a constitutional right to express themselves but he hoped they would do it in a manner that is respectful to Grant, his family and the community, and "show the nation that we can handle adversity."

The mayor's office coordinated with local nonprofits, including Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth, to send ministers, elders and other community members out in orange vests to talk to youths who had gathered in the streets and who were angry over the verdict.

"So many community groups have made the point that violence is not justice," said the Rev. H. James Hopkins of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church. "So, justice needs to have nonviolent measures. It's hard to see those videos and think that today's verdict was justice."

Oakland residents Yafeu Tyhimba, 41, and Keba Konte, 43, put up a chess board in the crosswalk at 14th Street and Broadway and began playing a game.

"It's a thinking man's game," Konte said. "And that's what we need to be doing tonight."

Michelle Washington owns a hair salon in the 300 block of 17th Street. She said people should find a more effective outlet for their pain and anger.

"People who riot, I have no respect for," Washington said. "They are hurting innocent people and we didn't have anything to do with what happened. If you are going to do something, get up and vote. That judge (in the Mehserle trial) would not be re-elected."

Many people who took to the streets, churches and recreation centers disagreed with the verdict. Others, while not happy, said they were gratified that a police officer was convicted of shooting an unarmed black man, because that is rare. They credited the numerous videos of the incident with assuring the conviction.

"I just felt that, as a voice, we are the people. Oscar Grant, that could have been anybody's child," said Elisher Muhammad, who owns a beauty shop on 17th Street. "It's sad to know that somebody could get away with a mistake like that, even if it was a mistake."

An officer with the Alameda County probation department, who asked that his name not be published out of fear he would lose his job, said he wasn't surprised by the verdict.

"Oftentimes when I get stopped by police, they let me go when they see my badge, but when I'm wrong, I'm wrong," he said. "I feel like (the verdict) was a slap on the wrist. I don't trust the system and I work for the system."

Several organizations hosted speakouts and music earlier in the evening for people to express themselves in nonviolent ways. About 100 youth nestled in comfortable couches at the Youth Uprising community center in East Oakland and took turns expressing their anger and frustration over the verdict during an open forum. At the Mosswood Recreation center in North Oakland, a multigenerational group gathered in a circle and shared feelings of sorrow and a variety of other emotions, said supervisor Karis Griffin.

"It's just a place where people are coming to talk about how they feel," Griffin said.

Abel Habtegeorgis, spokesman for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, said the community needs to focus on changing the system.

"We want to address the system that recruited and trained Johannes Mehserle, that's the fight we need to continue on," he said. "We want to see as much effort and energy as police put into preparing for a riot, put into putting the community onboard and engaging in forums and workshops."

Knots of agitators tried to stir up the crowd earlier in the evening. But when one young man started shouting that the crowd should riot he was quickly quieted by Oakland resident Brenda Appleby.

"Maybe the verdict was wrong, but this is my community and my town," Appleby said. "We have to stop talking about (the shooting) like it just hurt us black people. We need to stop looking at just color. This is about what happened to a human being."

Police Chief Anthony Batts, who earlier said that the verdict provided an opportunity for people to come together to talk about race and other issues, had hoped for a calm response. He blamed outsiders for ruining things for Oakland's businesses and residents, and he said his officers had gotten word that the anarchists, recognizable by their masks, were planning something.

"They want crowds to overreact, and they want police to overreact," he said. "We kind of anticipated that."

But he said the police were trying not to fall into their plan, he said.

RIP

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15473431

"Fiery object" thrown into courthouse -- Vallejo, CA

2010-06-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

A three-alarm blaze destroyed thousands of criminal files early Wednesday morning after someone threw a fiery object through a records room window at the Solano County Courthouse in Vallejo.

The fire forced the courthouse to close for at least a day.

The blaze began in the same area that friends of a drug crime suspect bombed in 1997 to thwart his prosecution, said Vallejo fire Chief Doug Robertson.

A smoke detector signaled the fire department at 4:04 a.m. and the first units arrived four minutes later, Robertson said. A patrolling police officer also reported the fire, officials said. The blaze was contained in 45 minutes and extinguished 45 minutes after that, he said.

Damaged or destroyed were the office of criminal investigation and incoming criminal files, said Solano County sheriff's spokesman Gary Faulkner. It was not immediately known if copies of destroyed documents existed.

Fire investigator Bill Tweedy told reporters during a midmorning news conference, "The building was locked, the fire was started from the outside" when an object was thrown through the window.

"After another four or five minutes, at the rate it was burning, it could have been a devastating fire for the county," Tweedy said.

No one was injured.

Robertson said fire and water damage was confined mostly to a small portion of the 5,000-square-foot records room that lacked a sprinkler system. He said other parts of the building hadsprinklers, but not the records room because it was not required at the time it was built.

Faulkner said about 60 full-time employees including judges work in the building and about 140 prospective jurors had been expected to report for duty.

Those with business at the courthouse were asked to call 707-207-7475 for instructions.

Vallejo attorney Parker Taft, showed up and was told on the courthouse steps that closing arguments in a civil trial in which he was involved would be delayed.

The fire began in the same area where friends of Kevin Lee Robinson, 30, set off a bomb in January 1997, presumably to destroy evidence against him. He was convicted, however, and in February 1998 he received a 110-year prison term.

That courthouse explosion blew out nearly two dozen windows, destroyed part of a wall and damaged several businesses.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_15411504?nclick_check=1

"Barefoot bandit" strikes again -- Madison County, NE

2010-06-30T03:10:00.000-07:00

Colton Harris-Moore is now officially a wanted man in Nebraska.

An arrest warrant released Tuesday from Madison County, Nebraska for Harris-Moore now details several break-ins, stolen cars and attempted airplane thefts that officials believe are possibly connected to the infamous "Barefoot Bandit."

Authorities believe the 19-year-old has been responsible for stealing as much as $1.5 million in property. He's been on the run since he escaped from a Renton group home in April 2008.

He apparently began his trek out of the Northwest earlier in the spring, donating $100 to a Raymond animal hospital and stealing a $450,000 yacht from Ilwaco to get across the Columbia River. The yacht was recovered in Warrenton, Ore., where police Tuesday positively identified him as the suspected thief.

Harris-Moore then allegedly stole more cars as he made his way toward Idaho.

A few days after Harris-Moore's trail went cold in Boise, on June 12, authorities in South Dakota noticed a vehicle with Washington plates had been abandoned in Spearfish. But now the trail leads further across the Midwest and into Illinois.

Detectives in Madison County have detailed a chain of events they believe are all connected to Harris-Moore:

* A car stolen from Spearfish, S.D. was recovered in Yankton, S.D.

* Also in Yankton, on June 18 at 3 a.m., a homeowner called police to report he found a naked man inside home. The homeowner tried to catch the man, but the intruder pointed a laser sight at the homeowner and told him to leave. The homeowner told detectives he feared it was attached to a gun and left. He called police, but the intruder fled before officers arrived. Officers canvassed the area and found there had been attempted break-ins at 12 other nearby homes. Detectives also noted a minivan had been stolen.

* The next night, someone tried to pry the doors open at the airport in Norfolk, Neb. Detectives found that someone had tried to use a broom handle to force open a cockpit window in an attempt to unlock a plane, but was not successful. Later, police recovered the stolen minivan from Yankton in a nearby park and discovered a Cadillac Escalade had been stolen from the airport.

* The stolen Escalade was recovered in Pella, Iowa, where another car was stolen. That vehicle was found dumped at the airport in Ottumwa, Iowa. Police there reported that someone had attempted to break into a plane, but was not successful there either.

* Detectives say yet another car was stolen from near the airport, and a few miles south of the airport, a Frito-Lay truck was burglarized and several bags of snack food were stolen.

* That stolen vehicle from Ottumwa was found in a ditch in Dallas City, Ill., but the trail has gone cold from there.

Norfolk detectives say they obtained surveillance video from the break-in at their airport and sent it to the Seattle office of the FBI and the Island County Sheriff's Department, whose detectives are familiar with Harris-Moore from his suspected capers through the years. Det. Sgt. Beech with Island County said he and his staff were "85-90% sure" the person shown in the surveillance video is Harris-Moore.

Investigators are also collecting DNA samples and fingerprints from the various break-ins in an effort to conclusively tie the break-ins to Harris-Moore. In the meantime, Harris-Moore is now a wanted man in Madison County for investigation of burglary and theft.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/422589_bandit29.html

Hackers steal large sum from escrow company -- Pasadena, CA

2010-06-30T03:09:00.001-07:00

A total of $465,000 was recently stolen from California-based Village View Escrow via 26 consecutive wire transfers.

"Owner Michelle Marisco said her financial institution at the time -- Professional Business Bank of Pasadena, Calif. -- normally notified her by e-mail each time a new wire was sent out of the company’s escrow account," writes Krebs on Security's Brian Krebs. "But the attackers apparently disabled that feature before initiating the fraudulent wires."

"Marisco said that a few days before the theft, she opened an e-mail informing her that a UPS package she had been sent was lost, and urging her to open the attached invoice," Krebs writes. "Nothing happened when she opened the attached file, so she forwarded it on to her assistant who also tried to view it. The invoice was in fact a Trojan horse program that let the thieves break in and set up shop and plant a password-stealing virus on Marisco’s computer, and on the PC belonging to her assistant -- the second person needed to approve transfers."

http://www.esecurityplanet.com/headlines/article.php/3890291/article.htm

Fire to the malls -- Phoenix, AZ

2010-06-30T03:07:00.000-07:00

Phoenix police are looking for the person who intentionally set a fire last Friday morning inside the J.C. Penney store in Christown Spectrum Mall.

The fire started inside a fitting room.

Clothes quickly spread the fire and flames shot 15 feet high. The store filled with thick smoke. The entire mall had to be evacuated while firefighters worked to put out the fire.

Phoenix Investigators said they are looking for a person of interest who was caught on surveillance video.

The man is 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet all, 250 to 270 pounds and Hispanic or Native American with a goatee. He also was wearing a thick pony tail that was possibly wound in a tight ball on the back of his head.

There were no injuries and mall patrons and employees safely evacuated.

http://www.kswt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12720523

Riots predicted if Oscar Grant trial is a not-guilty -- Oakland, CA

2010-06-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

An e-mail from a cop predicts massive riots if the BART officer on trial for murdering Oscar Grant is found innocent. The e-mail indicates that there will be a short amount of time for police to prepare for riots if the officer is acquitted, but does not go into detail. The most interesting part of the article:

"Oakland PD is expecting riots (to the degree of the LA/Rodney King riots) if/when a not-guilty verdict is read. This is not an exaggeration. Every law enforcement agency in the area is preparing for large scale crowd control and vandalism. We will only be given a two-hour heads-up before the verdict is public. Intel has been gathered indicating a "professional" protest group, called the Black Bloc, is planning to organize in the area. The Black Bloc is an anarchy group or style which frequently uses Molotov cocktails and arson during demonstrations. They wear ski masks, gas masks, helmets and body armor and attack police."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/kalw/detail?entry_id=66606

Early morning bank robbery -- Prince George, MD

2010-06-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

Prince George’s County Police have released surveillance photos in hopes of identifying a bank robbery suspect.

The suspect has a distinctive feature: A piercing above the left side of her top lip, according to police.

Police described her as a black female, about 5-foot, 6-inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, black flip-flops and sunglasses -- and armed with a black-handled handgun, according to police.

Shortly after 11 a.m. Friday, the suspect walked into the M&T Bank in the 6200 block of Oxon Hill Road posing as a customer, according to police. Once inside, she suspect passed a note demanding money, which she received. She fled on foot.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/crime-scene/pr-georges/prince-georges-county-police-a.html

Another attack on police building -- Hemet, CA

2010-06-30T02:58:00.001-07:00

A pre-dawn fire that set off ammunition at a police evidence building was likely linked to six booby trap attacks on law enforcement officials in this small Southern California town, authorities said Monday.

No injuries were reported in the fire inside the unmarked building. Arriving firefighters also had to deal with heavy smoke and security locks.

The fire was doused in less than 30 minutes.

"This makes us think whoever's behind this is letting us know they're still out there," police Lt. Duane Wisehart said. "It just doesn't end. We're doing everything we can."

Detectives were trying to determine how much of the burned evidence was involved in cases awaiting trial.

Police Chief Richard Dana said none of the evidence came from the previous attacks on police in Hemet, located about 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Investigators were proceeding on the assumption the fire was the seventh attack in the past six months targeting police and city property.

Police have not identified any suspects in the attacks.

On Dec. 31, a natural gas pipe was rerouted into the headquarters of an anti-gang unit. The building filled with flammable vapor, but an officer smelled the danger and the building emptied before anyone was hurt.

In another attack, a ballistic device strapped to a fence at a gang task force compound sent a bullet within inches of an officer's face.

There also have been several other suspicious fires, including one at a police rifle range and another in March that burned four city trucks in a parking lot several blocks from the Police Department.

No one has been injured.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/28/police-set-evidence-building-linked-series-attacks-california/