News of the Weird: Week of January 23, 2025

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Wait, What?

In early November, Emily James, 27, of Kansas City, Missouri, underwent a most unusual and expensive ($17,000) body-altering surgery, the New York Post reported. The trans woman had six ribs removed from her ribcage in order to achieve a smaller waist. The recovery gave her plenty of time to think about what she wanted to do with those extra ribs -- yes, the hospital gave them to her -- and her options seemed limitless: Make them into dog toys, boil them down for broth, have an "Emily barbecue." But eschewing all the cannibalistic notions, James has come up with the perfect project: "I plan on having someone make a crown and, like, incorporate my bone pieces in there," she said. "Getting my ribs removed doesn't change the fact that I'm a kind, loving trans girl. It's my money, my body and I'm going to do what I want with it." Yas queen.

Precocious

A 12-year-old boy from Grand Traverse County in Michigan was charged with joy riding, operating a motor vehicle without a license, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana on Jan. 12, MLive.com reported. The boy's parents contacted the county sheriff when they realized their 2000 Chevy Blazer was missing, saying their son had taken it. They had tracked his progress south into Clare County, where deputies were alerted to be on the lookout. By the time he was stopped, he had driven more than 90 miles; officers found a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and ammunition, along with a little weed, but said there was no indication that he planned to use the gun. He did tell deputies he was unhappy at home. He was released to his parents.

Compelling Explanation

San Mateo, California, police arrested a Kentucky man early on the morning of Jan. 12 for a suspected hit-and-run incident, CBS News reported. Frank Falcone, 62, told officers that he was driving northbound on Pacific Boulevard when a southbound car came toward him with its high beams on. The lights disturbed Falcone "because of the brightness and potential radiation," he said, so he rammed the other car. When it stopped, he allegedly rammed it two more times. Falcone fled the scene and told officers he evaded them because people impersonate cops. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Um ...

Nigerian gospel singer Timileyin Ajayi, 30, was arrested on Jan. 12 as he carried a bag that contained the severed head of his reported girlfriend, the BBC reported. The bag drew the attention of other people, who held him until police arrived. "The suspect was found with a fresh human head," Nasarawa police said, "and when we got to the scene, we rescued him from being mobbed." Other parts of the deceased's body were found later at his home. Abby Simon, a friend of the 24-year-old victim, said Ajayi was not her boyfriend. "Even if she was his girlfriend, she didn't deserve to die this way," Simon said.

You Had One Job

Brigantine (New Jersey) police were called to a home on the Jersey Shore on Jan. 13 after a neighbor found a toddler wandering around outdoors, NBC Philadelphia reported. The neighbor recognized the child and returned them to their home, where she found babysitter Jena Davidson, 35, passed out on the floor. First responders took Davidson to the hospital, where it turned out she had "consumed a significant amount of the homeowner's alcohol to the point that she became unconscious and unresponsive," police reported. She was charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

Bright Idea

Toilet paper shoppers in Kagoshima Prefecture in southern Japan have a new option, GoodNewsNetwork.org reported on Jan. 14: rolls made from used diapers and other hygiene products. The cities of Shibushi and Osaki worked together to recycle disposable diapers starting in April 2024. The used items are sanitized, bleached and shredded into a pulp to be mixed with recycled paper, to the tune of 30,000 rolls in the first two months of production. They're sold at $2.70 for a dozen rolls. "Please support this eco-friendly product, which aims to promote a sustainable society by reusing local resources," said Takumi Obo, spokesperson for the Osaki Municipal Government's SDGs Promotion Council.

Irony

On Dec. 18 at the Family Dollar store in Mulberry, Florida, two shoplifters worked together to pull off a cleaning products heist, the Miami Herald reported on Jan. 10. The Polk County Sheriff's Office, referring to the couple as Mr. Clean and Ms. Dookie until an arrest is made, hatched a plan to distract employees. "The man walked around the store gathering nearly $500 worth of merchandise (like lots of Gain, Tide and Clorox products)," officers said, "whilst the woman ... (used) the restroom, without going to the restroom." While employees cleaned up the mess, Mr. Clean walked past the registers and out to a Ford van, where Ms. Dookie joined him, and they drove away. The odd couple are still at large.

Unclear on the Concept

Hampton, Virginia, police officer J'ron Harry lost his job after a less-than-satisfying encounter with a prostitute on Dec. 30, WAVY-TV reported. Harry met 20-year-old Alexus "Dream" Copeland on an app and arranged to meet her that day at an apartment in Virginia Beach, police say. They agreed to shower together, but Copeland never came into the bathroom, instead lifting Harry's phone, keys, wallet and car (with police credentials). Police were able to track down the car in Norfolk; Copeland told them Harry had given her permission to borrow his car, but she was charged with grand larceny, credit card fraud and prostitution. Harry was not charged but was terminated on Jan. 7.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

A coyote "made a mistake" on Jan. 13 and ended up in the refrigerated case of the produce section at an Aldi store in Chicago, WLS-TV reported. It was sequestered behind a selection of fine cheeses after roaming around the parking lot just minutes earlier. "It picked an odd location," said Stan Gehrt with the Cook County Coyote Project. "They do this sometimes. They're trying to hide from us." Gehrt said many of the animals who end up in a sketchy situation are those who haven't found a mate yet. The coyote will be evaluated by the Flint Creek Wildlife Rehabilitation group, which will determine whether it can be released back into the wild.

Least Competent Criminal

Victoria state police in Australia released a video on Jan. 9 in an effort to identify two would-be arsonists who bungled their crime, Yahoo! News reported. In the video, two people in dark hoodies attempted to set fire to a Melbourne fast-food outlet on Christmas morning, but one of them became engulfed in flames. The footage shows the person removing their fiery trousers and running away bare-cheeked; the other person was seemingly unharmed.

Mistaken Identity

As a group of schoolchildren walked home on Jan. 13 in Syracuse, New York, Onondaga County Sheriff's deputies approached the kids and said one girl, wearing a pink jacket and camo pants, was the suspect in a car theft nearby. WSTM-TV reported that another child started recording video as the 11-year-old girl and her friends denied the accusation and deputies put her in handcuffs. They showed the kids a picture of the suspect and said, "Girl, you gonna tell me this ain't you?" Eventually, one deputy noticed that the suspect had longer hair and "apologized," saying, "I'm sorry about it, but you matched the description pretty clearly." The sheriff's department reviewed the situation and claimed the detainment was "lawful and reasonable," but Sheriff Toby Shelley met with the girl's mother afterward and called their conversation "productive."

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