MINNESOTA: A real “road hog” at the wheel? We learn that a distracted driver had a great excuse for “hogging” the road – a 250-pound pig was sitting in his lap. The unidentified man was pulled over in Chicago County after he swerved into another lane. An officer spotted the pig leaning against the steering wheel. Another pig was in the back seat. The driver said he didn’t want his pets to get cold in the back of the pickup. He got off with just a warning.
INDIANA: They call it a basket case! A thief stole a hot air balloon in Bloomington, sparking and interstate investigation that led to its recovery more than 900 miles away in Ocala, Florida. The heist ended when police spotted the $30,000 ride at The Villages Balloon Festival. The owner refused to press charges and said he just wants his balloon back.
INDONESIA: Leaping lizards? It has been reported that the famed Komodo Island will shutter temporarily, starting in January 2020, to thwart giant lizard smugglers. The report reveals that a ring was arrested in March 2019, for snatching 41 Komodo lizards. The lizard can grow to 8 ½ feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds. Smugglers sell them abroad for about $35,000 each.
ITALY: Art thieves punked by police. Bandits thought they had stolen a 17th-century $3.4 million masterpiece from an Italian church – but the work was actually a fake. Police had swapped out “The Crucifixion” painting by Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Younger with a faux one as part of a sting operation that is continuing.
JAPAN: What a racket? A thief who was arrested for stealing three used tennis rackets told police he couldn’t resist their sweaty smell. The 40-year-old kook allegedly swiped $200 worth of sporting gear from a locker at a high school on Japan’s Kyushu Island.
