Whose day is it for the DUI?

On Tuesday night, a Marion County Sheriff's Deputy arrested 51-year old Anna Horn Freeman for driving under the influence, reports Gainesville.com.  It was her second offense.  Michael John Hartwig was sitting in the front passenger seat of the orange pickup and, police said, also appeared to be intoxicated, as was another man in the vehicle.

On Wednesday night, the same deputy stopped the same orange pickup truck.  This time, the 58-year old Hartwig was driving and Freeman was in the passenger seat.  Her dogs were also along for the ride.  Hartwig asked the deputy to give him a break and then failed a field sobriety test, police said.  He refused a breath test.  The deputy found an 18-pack of Busch beer behind the front seat; 12 cans were unopened.

So Hartwig was taken to jail...charged with a second offense DUI.  Meanwhile, a deputy had to drive Freeman home as she, too, appeared to be Under The Influence.

(Images:  Marion County Sheriff's Office)

Residents spooked by animal and chicken heads

Residents of Vermillion Estates, described by Ocala.com as a quiet subdivision in southeastern Marion County, are a bit on edge due to the ongoing appearance of disembodied animal and chicken heads by a stop sign adjacent to the neighborhood.  A neighbor told the newspaper that the goat, pig and sheep heads "were strategically positioned" so drivers turning into the neighborhood could not avoid seeing them.

A Marion County Sheriff's deputy who came to the scene November 23 reported seeing the goat head and the pig head in a disposable aluminum cooking pan.  The following Wednesday, a resident called police to report the appearance of a chicken head in the same location.  The deputy returned, saw the chicken head, and wrote in his report that the chicken's internal organs were found nearby, in a Styrofoam bowl.  Beside the bowl, he said, was a piece of paper containing chicken or bird feathers along with a palm leaf.

According to police, two more chicken heads were found by the stop sign on Thanksgiving, and a resident reported seeing yet another one Friday.  "Are our dogs, horses and cats next? I mean, what's going on here, I would like to know," she said to the newspaper.

Deputies -- who aren't sure whether it's a prank, a religious practice or something else -- would also like to know.  For the time being, they are photographing the bizarre scenes for documentation.

Somewhere, the birds are fat and happy

Ocala.com reports that someone broke into a bird store earlier this week and made off with a large quantity of pellets and feed.  A Marion County Sheriff's Office report said that when the owner of Pretty Bird Food arrived at his store Wednesday morning, he noticed the back loading door was open and the security bars on one of the windows had been pried apart.  The store owner told police the evildoer(s) had absconded with 16 40-pound bags of medium breeder pellets, four 30-pound bags of Natural Gold pellet, and four 25-pound bags of cockatiel feed.

Homeless man repays kindness with a shove

A 28-year old transient was arrested for aggravated battery on a person older than 65 after pushing an elderly woman to the floor in her home.

According to the Ocala Star-Banner, Trevor Galloway hung around Ida Kirby’s house all weekend drinking with the 80-year old’s grandson, who lives at the house. Kirby allowed the deaf, mute homeless man to stay over Saturday night.

However, on Sunday, when Kirby saw Galloway walk into a hall closet she tried to stop him. That is when Galloway pushed her to the ground, breaking her hip. Then Galloway pulled the phone cord from the wall and fled.

Marion County Sheriffs said Kirby’s grandson was too inebriated to help with the investigation. However, a couple hours after the incident Galloway was found when a call for a suspicious person matched his description.

When it doesn't pay to advertise

Ocala.com reports that an off-duty Marion County sheriff’s detective got more then he bargained for when he saw a person towing a travel trailer with a “For Sale” and called the number to find out the price.

Detective Thomas Tingue was returning from vacation when he made the call. But the person who answered said the trailer had been stolen earlier in the day and then described the person suspected of stealing the vehicle.

Tingue followed the vehicle and approached the driver, 50-year-old Tommy Behringer of Franklin, N.C. Tingue called for backup, and Behringer was arrested.

The detective, meanwhile, says he’s no longer interested in the trailer.

Economy has exotic dancers stripped of tips

Feeling the pinch of the tough economic times? According to the Independent Florida Alligator, exotic dancers in Micanopy are too.

At Café Risque on I-75, some of the strip, err, dancers who used to pull $200 a night now are making $7. Part of the blame is on high gas prices which are making truck drivers think twice before coughing up between $30 and $50 for a lap dance.

The restaurant is offering discounts (on food), and other promotions to bring in customers.

OnStar helps police find suspects

Score this one OnStar 1, young thieves 0. The in-vehicle safety and security system helped Ocala police track a vehicle that was stolen Monday night, which led to the arrest of two boys, ages 14 and 15, the Ocala Star-Banner reports.

Mary Pencak told police she stopped at a Shell gas station to pick up food for her sick dog, according to an Ocala police report. Pencak said she left the keys in her white Chevy Silverado. A man inside the store told Pencak he saw two young men jump into the truck and drive off. Police responded, and were able to track the vehicle using its OnStar system. The boys were taken to the Ocala Police Department for questioning and then to the Juvenile Assessment Center. Police charged them with grand theft auto.

McGruff the crime dog would be proud

When Marion County deputies had trouble arresting a man suspected of fraud they got some unexpected help, according to ocala.com. Deputies said that when 38-year-old Wayne Morris Huff of Marion Oaks struggled with them his two dogs attacked - Huff. The animals bit Huff on his arm, leg, back and ear. Huff was treated at a hospital before being taken to jail. He faces two counts of organized fraud, two counts of grand theft and one of resisting without violence, according to a Sheriff's Office report.

Looking for some alone time?

Here is one way to get that much needed 'me' time.

The Ocala Star-Banner reports that over the weekend Jessica Marie Collins text messaged her boyfriend, telling him she was locked in the trunk of her car.

For more than 12 hours authorities searched for her car. It was about 11 p.m. when police found the 25-year old Ocala woman. She was standing next to her car. At first, Collins told investigators she had a flat tire and two men pulled over to help, then hit her in the back of the head and stuffed her in the trunk.

She soon confessed to fabricating the entire story. Really, she just wanted some time away from her boyfriend. She got it. Marion County Sheriff’s arrested and jailed the woman for making a false report of a crime.

Roommate jailed in attack of woman twice his age

Think it is tough living with your roommate? Marion County Sheriff's deputies found Ida Mae Ross, 80, bleeding from both arms at an Ocala gas station after a fight with her roommate Saturday night. Deputies returned to Ross's house to find tough guy Richard Manley, 40 laying on the floor with blood stains on his hands, face and jeans. Manley was arrested and charged with battery on a person older than 65. Ross was taken and treated at a hospital.