thief news stories on Newser

Actual 'Hamburglar' Raids McDonald's Drive-Thru

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 08:54:55 CDT

A real-life "Hamburglar" hit a drive-thru in Maine on Sunday night, the Kennebec Journal reports. The unidentified male, thought to be a teenager, ran between the Augusta McDonald's drive-thru window and a waiting car, snatching a bag of food just as an employee handed it outside. A nearby police officer...

Thief Swipes Obama's Teleprompter

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:47:31 CDT

He took the words right out of Barack Obama's mouth—sort of. A thief (or thieves...) in Henrico, Va., made off with a truck that just so happened to contain the president's teleprompter, podium, related audio equipment, and, should he have been unclear on just who he ripped off,...

Friars Pray for Diarrhea Vengeance

Rob Quinn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 05:36:21 CDT

Franciscan friars at an ancient church in Florence are praying for a vengeful God to deliver a dose of the squits to a Bible thief. A rare and expensive Bible vanished from the lectern this week, and a replacement donated by a worshipper disappeared a few hours later. A notice...

Contortionist Luggage Thief Hid in Suitcase

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:27:47 CDT

A man was arrested in Spain after curling himself up inside a large suitcase that was placed in an airport bus cargo bay and sneaking out to steal from other people's luggage, police said today. The man arrested last week was 5-10 and very thin, and an accomplice was also...

Thief Chops Off Woman's Hair at Bus Stop

Mon, 23 May 2011 09:26:37 CDT

A thief in Brazil cut off and stole a woman's long hair while she waited at a bus stop, according to authorities, who say the hair was virgin, meaning it had not been chemically treated, and will probably be sold for the production of wigs. The man used a knife-like...

Thief Grabs Franzen's Glasses, Demands Ransom

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 06:15:00 CDT

A London literary event featuring US author Jonathan Franzen was gatecrashed yesterday by a crazed thief who grabbed the glasses right off the writer's face, left behind a $150,000 ransom demand for them, then leaped in a lake as he fled British bobbies. Franzen was said to be "extremely...

Pickpocket Arrested for 60th Time

John Johnson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:07:36 CDT

You'd think with all that experience, he'd be a little better at this: A Chicago man is behind bars after police say he tried to steal a woman's purse—his 60th offense. Cops say 43-year-old Reginald McNeil has 12 felonies and dozens of misdemeanor arrests on his record, including theft...

Thief Swipes Phone... During a GPS-Tracking Demo

Polly Davis Doig — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:25:00 CDT

A thief biking down the street plucks an iPhone out of a girl's hands and takes off. It's his lucky day, right? The girl is an intern on an errand for her boss—who also happens to own the phone. She's screwed, right? Except if her boss is an exec...

Thief Dumps Stolen Tiger, Camels

Jane Yager — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:35:00 CDT

Apparently taking care of two camels and a tiger didn't turn out to be quite what one thief expected: Three days after the animals were stolen on their way back home to a Canadian zoo from a circus performance in Nova Scotia, police found Jonas the tiger and camels Todd...