News of the Weird: Week of September 3, 2026

Expand

News of the Weird newspapers illustration

And That's the Thanks They Get?

A Dalton, New Hampshire, man is in custody after stealing a rescue truck on Aug. 25 and using it to ram into a fire engine while firefighters battled his own house fire. NBC 10 in Boston reported that Nestor Roman II, 30, not only hit the fire engine, which sustained significant damage, but also ran over water supply lines, crashed into a personal vehicle, knocked over nearby fences and narrowly missed three firefighters before ending his wrecking spree by crashing into a nearby property and attempting to steal items off the porch. No one was injured, and firefighters were able to continue using the hoses to work on the fire. The house, however, ended up being a total loss, and Roman is charged with multiple counts of reckless conduct, theft, burglary and resisting arrest. [NBC 10 Boston, 8/26/26]

Luggage Lizards

Customs officers at Tokyo's Haneda Airport discovered some truly wild contraband in one passenger's luggage on Aug. 8, reported the Times of India: 22 pairs of socks stuffed with 200 lizards. Daniel Isaac Velasco Baltazar, 23, who had flown to Japan from South Korea, purchased the lizards -- some of them endangered -- in Mexico for anywhere from $3.50 to $4.50 each, possibly hoping to sell them in Japan, where they could be worth up to $630. After being arrested, Baltazar confessed to smuggling the lizards. [Times of India, 8/17/26]

Wandering Kinkajou Rescued in Texas

On Aug. 20, law enforcement officers in North Richland Hills, Texas, responded to a call about a small kangaroo or monkey seeking shelter behind a garbage can outside of a restaurant. Police discovered a kinkajou, a nocturnal mammal native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. KDFW reported that the kinkajou, also called a "honey bear," had burn marks on its paws from the hot concrete. Officers placed a towel around it before removing it from behind the trash can. The kinkajou was first taken to North Richland Hills Animal Services Center before being moved to Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue. Exotic pets are not allowed in the city, and no one has come forward to claim ownership of the kinkajou, so how this nocturnal mammal came to be outside of a restaurant on a hot, sunny day in Texas is still a mystery. [KDFW, 8/21/26]

Owl at Sea

Reuters reported on Aug. 20 that a barn owl had joined a British Army sailing crew -- 70 nautical miles from shore. The crew aboard the Fujitsu British Soldier was competing in the 50th Anniversary RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race when they found their stowaway. The bird -- which the crew named "Little Regina" -- fell into the sea three times before collapsing onto the deck, where sailors rescued it. The Barn Owl Trust, Marine and Wildlife Rescue, and Caister Independent Lifeboat coordinated to sail out and retrieve Little Regina and take her to a wildlife center so the crew from the Fujitsu British Soldier could finish the race. [Reuters, 8/20/26]

Bull on the Run

Law enforcement received a call about a bull traveling along Highway 35 in Half Moon Bay, California, late in the evening of Aug. 18. According to KTVU, the bull had been on the run for several days. The California Highway Patrol and San Mateo County Sheriff's deputies attempted to clear the roadway for capture. "You know, they don't cover this in the police academy, so they tried unsuccessfully for a couple of hours to get the bull secured," said Capt. Eamonn Allen, Coastside Commander for the San Mateo Sheriff's Office. "They tried a couple of methods and just realized that their efforts were futile." Realizing they needed an expert wrangler, they called in Samuel Palomino of Sea Horse Ranch. Palomino lassoed the animal while standing in the back of a sheriff's pickup, but the rope broke. After a second attempt, Palomino secured the wayward bull around 3 a.m. Officials said the bull was returned to its pen. [KTVU, 8/21/26]

Oops

Whoever wins the Aug. 30 Sydney Marathon will have a unique medal to commemorate the race. The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Aug. 23 that the medal depicts engravings of familiar landmarks, such as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. What designers meant to include: Sydney's Allianz Stadium. What they actually included: Munich's Allianz Arena. You read that right -- a Munich, Germany, landmark on an Australian marathon medal. With the event coming up too soon to correct the error, a marathon spokesperson said the medals will not be changed. "We're not going to run from it," a marathon spokesperson said. "It was an unfortunate error, though it's certainly given everyone something to talk about this weekend, mostly in good humor." Germany's Allianz Arena took to Instagram to join the fun: "Perhaps they tried to find something else they had in common: Allianz Arena -- Sydney Opera -- Unique Architecture -- Both are worth a visit!" [The Sydney Morning Herald, 8/23/26]

Cephalopod Chaos

On Aug. 16, a Rhode Island road was closed to traffic for eight hours while workers cleaned up 20 tons of spilled squid, ABC News reported. A tractor-trailer was taking the squid to a processing facility when the trailer part dislodged from the cab and tipped over as the driver tried to make a turn. Not only was traffic blocked across four lanes, but locals also had to contend with the smell. "Squid has a distinctive odor to it," Richard Stevens, a neighbor and fisherman, said. "It can be very foul-smelling, especially if it lands on the road and stays there for awhile." No one was injured, but Rhode Island State Police cited the driver for failing to secure a load. [ABC News, 8/18/26]

Cool Sea Rescue

Two fishermen were lost at sea for five days and survived by floating in a large blue cooler, People reported on Aug. 21. The unnamed fishermen, ages 32 and 53, had sailed on their own boat and last spoke to their fishing cooperative on Aug. 14. When a few days went by with no contact, members of the cooperative reached out to the Mexican Navy on Aug. 19 for help. After a search by surface and air units, personnel found the men 150 miles off the coast of Chiapas in southern Mexico. They were pulled onto the navy ship, where they received medical attention and were later reunited with their families. [People, 08/21/26]

Biting His Head Off

Amy Arlene Baker, 43, of Boca Raton, Florida, is charged with aggravated battery after biting her husband's ear off during an argument, NBC 6 Miami reported on Aug. 20. The couple were on Interstate 95 driving home from a party in Fort Lauderdale when they started fighting about relationship issues. As the argument escalated, police say that Baker struck her husband with her hand before grabbing his face and biting his ear, tearing a small section of it off. Baker claims that he hit her and that she was provoked by him telling her to "shut up" prior to that. Her husband drove to the nearest hospital, where he had to have surgery to reattach the missing portion of his ear. Baker is also charged with two counts of child neglect, as the couple's two children, 7 and 1, were in the car when the incident occurred. [NBC 6 Miami, 08/20/26]

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

COPYRIGHT 2023 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

1130 Walnut, Kansas City MO 64106; 800-255-6734