Each week, Patch combs through the more shocking, surprising and often absurd alleged criminal acts and police-related incidents that unfold around the region. Here’s what went on this week for “OMG PD.”
If your key doesn't work, make sure you're at the right apartment: Mount Laurel Police said Ming F. Zheng was drunk and forgot to check the address when he tried kicking in his front door, which—surprise!—wasn't his front door.
Speaking of door-related crimes: A resident at the Heights of Collingswood told police she heard some noises at her front door, then later realized her peephole had been stolen. No word on what the street value of a stolen peephole might be, though.
That had to be a weird traffic report: Stuff falls off trucks onto highways all the time, those every-10-minutes radio reports tell us. Cases of soda, furniture, foodstuffs—sure, those are all common enough. But luge sleds? Yup, a load of the United States' national luge team's sleds dropped on to a highway in Pennsylvania, and a passerby picked them up and turned them in—because what else do you do with a truckload of luge sleds?
Next time, maybe try Myspace, and without the guns part: Two former Highland Regional High School students allegedly tried to see what they could get away with posting to Facebook, but went way too far by posting a threat to shoot up the school, police said. While Gloucester Township Police ultimately determined the threat was a hoax, the charges against Brandon Worley and Ramon Leon—third-degree false public alarms and third-degree terroristic threats—are real.
The dangers of the Wawa parking lot: A man sleeping in his car in a Wawa lot got a rude awakening from West Goshen, PA, police—then proceeded to crash into a patrol car in an attempt to get away and get out of a drunken driving charge, police said.
A tiny (alleged) accomplice: Franchesca Marie Villanueva had a novel way of trying to get away with shoplifting at Walmart, Cherry Hill Police said. She allegedly hid about $250 worth of merchandise under a baby, but was caught trying to leave the store with the goods.
Every bad idea rolled into one: Car accidents are a headache, but Mount Laurel Police said a crash on Fellowship Road was much worse for a Pennsauken man. Christopher M. Newton was found carrying prescription drugs not prescribed to him and had an outstanding warrant, police said, netting him a one-way ride to the county jail and $10,000 bail.
A humble hero: Because a little good news goes a long way— to save a resident, and didn't take any credit for the act. Instead, fellow officers found out about it when they were discussing the case later that night. “That’s typical of him,” Lt. Tim Young said of Chiacchio. “He doesn’t walk around bragging, saying, ‘See what I did.’”
