All-American Weirdos
Two American tourists, Joseph DaSilva, 38, and Travis DaSilva, 36, of San Diego, were arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 28 and detained in an immigration detention center after they posted a “butt-selfie” on Instagram, taken in front of the Buddhist temple Wat Arun (“Temple of the Dawn”). The pair’s Instagram account, “Traveling Butts,” showcased their hindquarters at tourist sites around the world, but it was deleted shortly after the arrests. District police chief Jaruphat Thongkomol told Reuters that the two would also be fined for a similar photo at a different temple.
Liver Logos
In Birmingham, England, renowned 53-year-old surgeon Simon Bramhall pleaded guilty on Dec. 13 to branding his initials onto human livers using an argon beam during transplant surgeries. A colleague first noticed the initials “S.B.” in 2013 on an organ during a follow-up surgery, which sparked an investigation, The Guardian reported. Bramhall resigned in 2014 and acknowledged that marking his patients’ livers had been a mistake. But former patient Tracy Scriven of Dyrham, Wiltshire, told the Birmingham Mail that he should be reinstated: “Is it really that bad? I wouldn’t have cared if he did it to me. The man saved my life.”
Inept Santa Moves
Jesse Berube, 32, of Rocklin, Calif., tried using a favorite trick of Old St. Nick, but he got stuck in the chimney of a Citrus Heights business he was trying to rob on Dec. 13 and had to call police for help. ABC News reported that Sacramento firefighters responded and used special equipment to free Berube, who now faces one count of burglary. Citrus Heights police said Berube obviously “does not have the same skills as the real deal.”
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Rebelle-ious Behavior
British model Chloe Hammond, 27 (a.k.a. Chloe Rebelle), succumbed to a fit of road rage on March 19 when Julie Holloway, 56, tapped on her car window to ask her to stop using her phone while driving in traffic in London. Metro News reports that Rebelle responded by parking her Audi TT and “coming out of nowhere” toward Holloway, kicking her in the stomach, grabbing Holloway’s hair and biting off a piece of her ear. Holloway, bloodied and disturbed, didn’t realize part of her ear was missing until someone “picked it up off the floor.” In October, Rebelle was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent in Southwark Crown Court, and on Dec. 18, a judge sentenced her to five years in jail.
Special Delivery!
An employee at a TCBY yogurt shop in Matthews, N.C., got a surprise while opening three packages delivered to the store—filled with $220,000 worth of marijuana. Upon further investigation, the store told WSOC-TV, the packages had been delivered mistakenly and were meant for a post office box at the postal store next door. While the origin of the packages is still unknown, the drugs and the recipient’s information have been turned over to the local police.
Forlorn Ferrari
Israel Perez Rangel, 38, of Santa Ana, Calif., raised suspicions begging for money at a service station to put gas in the 2015 Ferrari 458 Spider he was driving on Nov. 1. The $300,000 car was in rough shape, according to the Los Angeles Times, with cracked fins, emblems torn from the body and vomit caked on the side. When Santa Ana police arrived, Rangel ran away, but he was caught nearby hiding in bushes. Car owner Susan Friedman of Laguna Beach had left the Ferrari at a Costa Mesa service center in October, where it was stolen, and surveillance video confirmed it was Rangel who nicked the hot rod. Luckily for Friedman, her insurance company cut her a check; she’s replaced the Ferrari with a 2018 Lamborghini Huracan.
Shouldn’t That Be Haesin-Dong?
Visitors to South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics may want to make a side trip to Haesindang Park near the coastal town of Sinnam. The park, also known as Penis Park, opened to the public in 2007 and was dedicated to the memory of a virgin bride-to-be left behind by her fisherman fiancé. Locals told The Mirror that, after being abandoned, the bride was swept out to sea and drowned, causing fish to leave the area. Now her spirit can only be soothed by the sight of … male genitalia. The Penis Park features nearly 300 erect phallus statues, and about 12,000 visitors take in the titillating sights each year—most of them women.
