Weird Crime: Ski Masks Don't Help If You've Already Been Recognized

A roundup of odd, unusual and head-scratching crimes in the St. Louis area.

At These Prices You Could Just Buy New Dishes A man faces criminal charges for taking large fees from an elderly woman with Alzheimer' Disease for menial household chores, according to police in Maryland Heights. The 88-year-old woman gave the man $325 to $400 for doing the dishes, according to a police report. The man admitted to police he received an excessive amount for the job he was doing, but said the woman gave the extra amount as a tip. He told police he was aware of the woman’s disability and limitation, according to the police report. The man was was charged in January with financial exploitation of an elderly or disabled person, a class B felony. The woman’s family initially noticed her car was missing. While investigating the …

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Weird Crime: Burglar Foils Unsecure Security Camera

A roundup of odd, unusual and head-scratching crimes in the St. Louis area.

Burglar Foils Unsecure Security Camera A burglar turned around a security camera and apparently deleted any potentially incriminating images Jan. 7 at a Fenton home after breaking into the residence by using a landscaping stone to break the front entry door sidelight. A coin collection was stolen. The homeowner told a sheriff's deputy she had left home at approximately 5:20 p.m. Upon her return said she observed the left front door side light was shattered and most of the glass removed, according to the deputy's report. Due to three previous burglaries in the recent past, The homeowner had placed a "trail cam" on a bookshelf after the previous burglaries, Police discovered the camera had been turned around facing the back of the shelving …

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Weird Crime: Porterhouse Steaks Down the Pants, Good Samaritans Mistreated, Movie Talker Punched

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in the St. Louis area.

Meat is His Undoing A University City man faces criminal charges after police said he tried to steal porterhouse steaks from a  grocery store. The man put two packages of porterhouse steaks down his pants. He recently had been released from jail after serving a one-year sentence for stealing meat. Family Fingered Following Funeral Almost $7,000 was reported stolen after a Barnhart woman invited family members over to her house after her husband's funeral on Nov. 10. The victim told officers with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department that she noticed several items missing after family members left her home. Among the items missing were $600 in cash and several pieces of jewelry, including a man's gold wedding band. Moving Violation A …

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Weird Crime: 3 Connections to QuikTrip, Scammers Involving Fake iPads, Fake Money

A round-up of odd and unusual crimes in and around the St. Louis area.

Computer Tablet Scam Ends With Man Grabbing $800 From Woman A woman withdrew $800 from an ATM machine after being approached by two men on a QuikTrip parking lot in Hazelwood and said they were selling iPads and other electronic equipment. She led the men to a nearby supermarket where she withdrew $800 from an ATM machine. She then walked back to their car where they told her to take a box from the back of the car that supposedly contained the iPads. Instead, the boxes contained two picture frames that were made to look like iPads and another box that contained a wooden cutting board. Yet another box was filled with bubble wrap and a USB cord. During the transaction, one of the man grabbed the woman's $800 and fled. Another QuikTrip …

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Criminal Minds

Man Helps Himself to Supermarket Chicken After Stuffing Vodka in his Pants

A roundup of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crimes in and around St. Louis.

Chicken-Eating Vodka Thief The store security staff at Dierbergs Market, in Arnold, watched a man stuff four bottles of Absolut vodka down his pants Sept. 30 and then walk through the store eating chicken from the deli, according to police. When the man tried to leave the store, the security staff tried to stop him and the man kicked them. He was booked and held. A Man Walks Into a Bar A St. Peters man walked into a sports bar on Jungermann Road Oct. 15 and slugged a complete stranger who was watching television. The victim said he did not know his assailant, had never spoken to him and had never met him before. Six Cars Stolen From Dealership; One Left Behind Auto thieves snatched approximately six cars from the Johnny Londoff Chevrolet …

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Weird Crime: Yelling, Honking and a Burglar Frying Bacon

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crimes in the St. Louis area.

This crime roundup is collected from various incidents reported by police departments around the St. Louis area. Too Early for Yelling and Honking A woman who was in her front yard in the Riverside subdivision in Fenton at 3 a.m. Sept. 11, and was yelling and honking her vehicle horn, was issued a peace disturbance summons. Ultra Huffing in the Woods The first clue that a man had been inhaling Ultra Duster was when police found him passed out in the woods on Sept. 14 with three cans of the compressed air product lying nearby, according to Fenton police. The man ultimately was arrested for returning three times to the Fenton Walmart before he was finally able to steal two cans of Ultra Duster. For those familiar with huffing, Ultra Duster …

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Weird Crime: Lovers Spar Over Dented Trash Can

This is a roundup of recent weird, unusual and off-the wall crimes compiled from police reports around the St. Louis area.

Here's a look at recent weird St. Louis crimes reported near Clayton and Richmond Heights. Tools, Motorcycle Stolen While Owner is in Jail An air compressor, generator and Honda motorcycle were among the items stolen from the home of an Imperial man who was locked up in jail when it happened. The thefts reportedly occurred between Sept. 8-10 on Meadow Drive in Imperial. A burglar broke into an unlocked storage building and also nabbed some tools. A burglar kicked in a garage door and broke into a home Sept. 12 in Imperial and ransacked the homeowner's sock drawer, finding $150 in cash. Man Tries to Sell Live Hand Grenade Kirkwood Police Department received an odd surprise when a man turned up with a military-issue hand grenade. Police said…

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Weird Crime: Burglary Victim Locked Up; His Stuff Wasn't

A round-up of odd and unusual and off-the-wall crimes in the St. Louis area.

Tools, Motorcycle Stolen While Owner is in Jail An air compressor, generator and Honda motorcycle were among the items stolen from the home of an Imperial man who was locked up in jail when it happened. The thefts reportedly occurred between Sept. 8-10 on Meadow Drive in Imperial. A burglar broke into an unlocked storage building and also nabbed some tools. A burglar kicked in a garage door and broke into a home Sept. 12 in Imperial and ransacked the homeowner's sock drawer, finding $150 in cash. Man Tries to Sell Live Hand Grenade Kirkwood Police Department received an odd surprise when a man turned up with a military issue hand grenade last week. Police said the man, from High Ridge, didn't realize the WWII grenade posed a danger Burglar…

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Criminal Minds

Weird Crime: Disorderly Man Charged after Beating and Cursing His Vehicle

A round-up of odd, unusual and off-the-wall crime items from around the St. Louis area.

Ranting and Raving While Intoxicated A 42-year-old Kirkwood man was arrested and charged in municipal court with disorderly conduct  on Sept. 7 in the 10000 block of Manchester Road. Employees of a nearby business called Warson Woods police when the man was observed beating on his vehicle and screaming profanities and racial epithets in the parking lot. The man was intoxicated and apparently upset because he had been involved in an accident in which the vehicle that struck his fled the scene in the city of Glendale several hours earlier. It Makes One Wonder What He Was Planning on Shaving A man recently stole at least 250 razor blade packages valued at $4,100 from three St. Charles County Walmart stores, police said. The packages contained…

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Weird Crime: Thief Steals Van That Needs Tires, Gas

A round up of recent unusual and odd crimes in the St. Louis area.

Stolen Van Needed Gas, Tires A Ferguson man is facing criminal charges for stealing a van that not only needed gas, but apparently tires as well. He also was charged with stealing eight tires from Dobbs Tire and Auto. Florissant Police said the man stole a 1994 GMC conversion van from a Johnny Londoff Chevrolet lot sometime between July 29 and Aug. 1. The van belonged to an employee at the car dealership. Police said man also broke into Dobbs Tire and Auto, and stole eight tires valued at $1,593. He was identified through surveillance tapes at Dobbs and at a Quik Trip gas station where he bought gas for the van, according to court documents. Man Leaves Behind Hatful of DNA at Burglary Scene A hat left at a burglary scene in 2011 led St. …

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