Oops...times two

A 17-year old Manatee county boy was cleaning a gun.  He removed the magazine.  He did not clear the chamber.  He pressed the trigger while trying to remove the slide.  Oops!  The bullet went through his leg.  And then hit his 20-year old brother in the leg.

Oops again.

Read all about it in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

98 bras purloined from Victoria's Secret

The Bradenton Herald is reporting that someone stole 98 bras from a Victoria's Secret store in the DeSoto Square Mall last Thursday, with a total value of about $4,200.  We're assuming they were...uh, lifted due to their monetary value rather than someone's immediate need for...support.

Rocket scientist trashes community pool in full view of surveillance camera

A 23-year old Bradenton man busted up lounge chairs and tossed furniture into the Braden River Lakes community pool, according to police.  He also threw trash -- beer bottles, toilet paper and yard waste, according to the Bradenton Herald -- into the pool.  And he went into the pool bathroom, clogged the sinks and turned the water on full blast, police said.

How did they know this?  The entire stellar performance was captured on a surveillance camera.

Ernie Johnathon Moore admitted his guilt to police, though he did not provide an excuse for his behavior, which netted him a trip to the Manatee County Jail on charges of trespassing and criminal mischief.

"Granny dumping": Niece drops 96-year old grandmother at shelter, heads for Disney

A North Carolina woman dropped her 96-year old aunt at a Bradenton Salvation Army shelter Sunday night, along with "several bags containing Smith’s medications, urine-soaked clothes and rotten food," and then headed for Walt Disney World, according to the Bradenton Herald.  Officials say the niece could face criminal charges in what they are calling one of the worst local cases of "granny dumping" they'd ever seen.

“To take someone hundreds of miles and just dump them, that’s at the far end of the spectrum,” said M. Ashley Butler of Aging Safely Inc., the elderly woman's emergency temporary guardian.  The woman has been taken to a local hospital for testing and observation.

The niece, whom the newspaper reached by phone in North Carolina, disputes the officials' version of events.  She said she had made prior arrangments with the shelter to leave her aunt there until the elderly woman could be placed in assisted living facility.

According to the newspaper, shelter employees testified at an emergency hearing Wednesday that the niece told them she had no plans to return for the aunt.  “They couldn’t wait to leave, got the bags out of the car as fast as they could and literally pushed her out of the car,” Butler said of the niece, who was traveling with her foster children.

Gator gives new meaning to 'slow lane’

MANATEE — He was so close. The 400-pound alligator almost made it across the highway.
But for some reason the 9-foot-9 scaly beast stopped in its tracks smack in the middle of the right southbound lane of U.S. 301, south of Tallevast Road.
And it just wouldn’t move.
So at about 5:40 p.m. Sunday, a passing motorist dialed 911.
Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled in behind the gator, turned on their emergency lights and set up flares.
Still, it just wouldn’t move. So deputies Lee Harrington, Garrett Johnson, Tim Hartman and Steven Luke shut down the lane and directed motorists around the alligator.
Most of the curious passers-by slammed on their brakes, looked out their car windows and laughed.
Eventually, Florida Wildlife Commission state alligator trappers Bob Cowles and Ken Cowles showed up, tied up the reptile and loaded him into their truck.
The gator didn’t go without a fight, though.
When Bob Cowles put a rope around his neck, the reptile violently began to flop around on the highway.
He hissed, did a few rolls, then ended up in a grassy area along the highway where the trappers eventually were able to put tape around its mouth.
Ken Cowles said the alligator would be transported to Miami-Dade County.
So far this year, Cowles said he’s trapped about 75 alligators in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Last year, he corralled about 250.

From the Bradenton Herald

Man steals money from DAV bar, is chased down and tackled by vets

Seriously, dude. Why in the world would you attempt to steal money from a Disabled American Veterans bar? During a memorial service yet, for a retired service member who'd recently passed.

Not only is that cold...but you were also freakin' incompetent. According to the Bradenton Herald, the old soldiers chased you down like the dog you are, tackled and held you till the police arrived, and recovered all of their money.

“They went after him on their motorcycles, trucks, cars, whatever they had,” the DAV bartender told the newspaper.

Don't you find that just a little bit embarassing?

So there you sit in the Manatee County Jail charged with armed robbery and aggravated assault...and serving as an object lesson to those who think they can take advantage of disabled veterans.

NOBODY needs to check Facebook this badly

Yes, we know social networking is all the rage these days.  Many of us have Facebook accounts as well.  But that doesn't mean we think it's OK to grab another customer's laptop in a Starbucks and dash out into the parking lot with it.

We're not alone in feeling this way.  HeraldTribune.com reports that two folks in the Prime Outlets parking lot tackled 19-year-old Corey R. Kinney and held him there until security arrived.  According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, Kinney grabbed the laptop after its owner denied him the opportunity to check his Facebook account on it.  The laptop owner got his machine back.  Kinney was charged with robbery "by sudden snatching."  (Photo:  Manatee County Sheriff's Office)

There are worse things than being single on Valentine's Day

Marriageworks, a nonprofit organization that teaches communications skills, is organizing the its first  “Elvis In The Park” Valentine Day Celebration at Glazier Park in Bradenton on Saturday, from 4-7 pm.  The Bradenton Herald reports that couples are invited to come listen to a free concert and renew their marriage vows.  Elvis impersonator Rick Marino will preside.  You can win a limo ride, have your picture taken with "Elvis," and enjoy free cake.  (Image:  Candy Hearts -- http://www.cryptogram.com/hearts/)

Anger management issues? Ya think?

Manatee County Sheriff's deputies arrested a 49-year old Bradenton man Saturday after he threw a cup of urine at his girlfriend, pelted her with a half dozen eggs, squirted charcoal lighter fluid on her and held a burning piece of paper near her, threatening to set her on fire.

Deputies said James E. Farrell also dumped several gallons of water on the woman; remarkably, she did not suffer any serious injuries.  Farrell was charged with felony aggravated domestic assault and misdemeanor battery, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune.  (Image:  Manatee County Sheriff's Office)

Man attacks father with Christmas tree

HeraldTribune.com reports that a 37-year-old Parrish man was arrested Wednesday after attacking his father with a Christmas tree, according to a Manatee County Sheriff's Office report.  Deputies said the man threw the 3-foot tree at his father during an argument.  When it missed, he tried to use the tree's steel base as a weapon but, police said, his parents managed to grab his arms and subdue him before anyone was injured.  (Image:  National Archives and Records Administration)