News of the Weird: Week of July 3, 2025

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Wait, What?

The South China Morning Post reported on June 25 that a 64-year-old man underwent surgery in Anhui province to remove a toothbrush that he had swallowed when he was 12 years old. Mr. Yang had begun to feel a strange sensation in his stomach, so he sought medical help; he told doctors he had been too afraid to tell his parents at the time of the incident. He also thought the toothbrush would dissolve on its own. But 52 years later, the nearly 7-inch-long brush was lodged in his small intestine, and doctors worked for 80 minutes to remove it. Dr. Zhou said the brush was stuck in a crook of the intestine and hadn't moved for decades.

The Hard Way

An unnamed Bristol, Connecticut, man was charged with burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief on June 22 after he tried to enter a public building through the chimney, the Associated Press reported. According to police, the man's dog was trapped in the building's restroom after the doors automatically locked, and rather than call for help, he tried to shimmy down the chimney but got stuck. Firefighters responded and had to remove parts of the chimney and building, causing $5,000 to $10,000 worth of damage. He was eventually freed and was unharmed. "If he had just contacted police in the first place, we might have been able to avoid the situation," said Erica Benoit of the Bristol parks and rec service.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit

A mother, father and adult son in Havlickuv Brod, Czech Republic, have pleaded guilty to running a fake dental clinic in their home, the Associated Press reported on June 19. They all face up to eight years in prison for the ruse, during which the son would look up how to do procedures (including extractions) on the internet; the mother, a nurse, would assist, and the dad made prosthetic devices. They raked in about $185,000 before being caught after a patient consulted another dentist about complications following treatment.

The Passing Parade

Neighbors in one Indianapolis area flocked to North Pasadena Street on June 18 to see a remnant of the storms that had moved through: a large white dome deposited in the road. WRTV reported that people drove or walked by to see it and even had their photos snapped in front of it. The sphere is believed to be a radome, a weatherproof structure that protects radar antennae or other equipment. "We've not seen anything like this," said neighbor Kirby Jarvis. "Lock the doors, stay inside, aliens, you never know."

What's in a Name?

              -- Police in Portland, Oregon, finally caught up with a man who had fired gunshots at them and led them on a high-speed chase on June 20, KATU-TV reported. The Milwaukie Police Department said they took Loony John Franklin Toon, 42, into custody on June 23 and charged him with first-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault and fleeing from the police. That's all, folks!

              -- On June 19 in Silver Creek, Minnesota, a car that was "swerving and weaving" hit a curb and careened into a scissor lift, which workers were using to fix a light. The New York Post reported that the car then slammed into a tunnel wall and flipped. One worker, Benjamin Kidd, 27, sustained life-threatening injuries; another managed to hang on to the light fixture until first responders could help him down. Driving the car was none other than Patches Magickbeans, 34, of Wisconsin, who was allegedly intoxicated; police said he was babbling and reaching for objects in the air that weren't there. Officers found psilocybin mushrooms in his car. Magickbeans' bio on his Instagram page says he is a "womb wisdom keeper" and "corn juggler."

Repeat Offender

Jacky Jhaj, 39, has been on Britain's sex offenders list since 2016, but that didn't stop him from arranging a mock wedding to a 9-year-old Ukrainian girl at Disneyland Paris on June 21, the BBC reported. Police were alerted to the event by an actor who had been hired to portray the father of the bride; about 100 other extras were recruited to take part. On June 23, Jhaj was charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. His other notable offenses include hiring hundreds of children to act like fawning fans at a fake film premiere in London in 2023. He films the escapades and uploads them to a YouTube channel. The fake wedding, which included a cake and musicians, took place at the Sleeping Beauty castle and was reported to have cost about 130,000 euros, but it's unclear how he funds the projects.

It's a Mystery

The French Interior Ministry reported that about 150 people were pricked by syringe needles during a nationwide music festival, according to CNN. Over the weekend of June 21, French police detained 14 people in connection with the "spiking" incidents, which left some victims feeling unwell. Some were hospitalized for testing. One 22-year-old concertgoer said she went to the hospital and then filed a police report. "I told myself maybe it can have an impact," she said.

Bright Idea

Out in ski country, employees at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado hit the slopes in early June for a completely different event: the Mountain Cleanup Day. KDVR-TV reported that 150 workers cleared about 780 pounds of debris off the mountains -- stuff that had fallen out of pockets or flown off skiers as they schussed down the runs. Unusual items included a hamburger flipper, a $2 Canadian coin, piles of ski poles and a message in a bottle, which turned out to be a COVID-19 vaccination record. The resort hopes the cleanup will remind people to "pack out what you bring in."

Freak Accident

A lifeguard in Asbury Park, New Jersey, was trying to set a chair umbrella in its holder on June 25 when it got away from her and ended up impaling her through her shoulder, WABC-TV reported. "She fell backwards off the bench and the umbrella came with her ... and landed on her arm," said lifeguard Joe Bongiovanni. Firefighters cut most of the pole away but left a piece about a foot long in her arm before she was transported to the hospital. She is in stable condition.

News That Sounds Like a Joke

The Chongqing Forestry Bureau has sucked all the fun out of a gimmick at a hotel in Pengshui, China, according to United Press International. The bureau ordered the Lehe Ledu Liangjiang Holiday Hotel to cease using red pandas to make wake-up calls to guests, UPI reported on June 25. For an extra charge, hotel guests could sign up for one of four red pandas to come to the room and climb onto the bed. They could linger with guests depending on their mood. The forestry bureau said the service could be considered animal abuse because the pandas are sensitive and their stress responses could endanger themselves or the humans.

The Golden Age of Air Travel

The U.S. Sun reported on June 26 that a woman aboard Aeroflot flight SU734 from St. Petersburg, Russia, to Egypt finally had to be restrained after she launched into a tantrum about not being upgraded to business class. The woman screamed at flight attendants that she had "pain in my butt" and needed business class "because I was working." She then threatened to open the emergency exit and began to remove her shirt, presumably hoping that would help her cause, but no: Some burly passengers moved her to the back of the plane, where she was restrained until Egyptian authorities took her off after landing.

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