Stupid people of the week

Ark. Couple Tried to Sell Their Baby for 6-Pack of Beer and $1,000 at Ozarks Campground, Police Say

A young couple is facing criminal charges after trying to sell their 2-month-old for a six-pack of beer and $1,000 at an Arkansas campground, authorities say.

Darien Urban, 21, and Shalene Ehlers, 20, of Rogers, are charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of a minor and attempting to accept consideration for relinquishment of a minor, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by PEOPLE.

On Sat. Sept. 21, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from the manager’s office at the Hide Away Campground and RV Park in Rogers, near Beaver Lake in the Ozarks.

The caller said that the parents of a 2-month-old baby tried to give up their baby in exchange for a six-pack of beer and then the money, the affidavit alleged.

Police arrived and the baby was taken to a local hospital.

Shortly after, a deputy who arrived on the scene obtained a letter that said, “I, Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers are signing our rights over to (name of a man) of our baby boy (name redacted) for $1,000 on 09/21/2024,” the affidavit alleged.

The letter, which the couple are alleged to have signed, further said: “Disclaimer: After signing this there will be no changing yall two’s minds and to never contact again,” the affidavit stated.

Detectives spoke to others, including a woman who said earlier that night, Ehlers came to her camper asking for beer and left when she and her husband said no, the affidavit alleged.

Saying he was concerned about the couple’s baby, another man told the woman he was going to give the couple some beer so he could “have the baby overnight.”

The couple agreed and gave the baby to the second man along with a diaper bag, the document alleged.

The second man brought the baby to the first man who was in another camper, and said he gave the couple several cans of beer in exchange for the baby, the affidavit claimed.

The woman said the baby smelled like ammonia and fecal matter and his diaper was full. When she changed his diaper, she saw that he had a heavy rash, blisters and swelling on his buttocks and genitals, the affidavit alleged.

She also claimed she saw dog hair inside the baby’s diaper.

Soon after Urban and Ehlers came to the camper where the second man had taken the baby. Urban and Ehlers spoke to the two men and signed the letter, which the first man told a deputy he drew up, per the affidavit.

The first man said he gave no money to the couple but told them he would get them a cashier’s check for $1,000 on Monday, the affidavit alleged.

A detective then spoke to the second man who “appeared to be heavily intoxicated.”

When the detective asked the couple where the baby was, Urban said he was with the first man “and that the baby was undergoing an adoption,” the affidavit alleged.

The two parents were detained and taken to the sheriff’s office for further questioning.

When interviewed by authorities, the couple allegedly gave similar accounts of the event, saying that the first man created the agreement “they videotaped to ensure it was legal and that they planned to ‘legalize’ it on Monday.”
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The first man claimed he spoke to Ehlers who told him “it was not working having three dogs and a baby,” and would surrender the baby to him for the $1,000, according to the affidavit.
Urban and Ehlers were arrested on Sat. Sept. 21.

The two “created a substantial risk of death or serious physical injury by abandoning their minor child initially with an obviously intoxicated male and ultimately someone they did not know,” the affidavit alleges.

Urban was released from jail on Monday, Sept. 23, on $50,000 bond, according to online jail records. Ehlers remains held on $50,000 bond.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services is caring for the baby.

It is unclear whether they have retained attorneys who can speak on their behalf.

Source; People

National Park Detects Mold Caused By Single Bag of Cheetos Littered In Fragile Cave Ecosystem

Hidden beneath the surface of New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park lay over 120 caves formed by limestone dissolved by sulfuric acid including The Big Room , which is largest single cave chamber by volume in North America. Will Rogers colorfully described The Big Room cavern as “The Grand Canyon with a roof over it” and it is a sub-terrain highlight for thousands of visitors who can walk through and explore a wide variety of calcite deposits called speleothems including stalactites, stalagmites, columns, draperies, soda straws, popcorn, and helictites.

Tourists exploring The Big Room are only permitted to carry plain water, all other food and drinks are strictly prohibited as they can attract animals like raccoons and ringtails into the cavern. Carlsbad Caverns National Park recently found an open and full bag of Cheetos littered on the ground of The Big Room and used it as PSA for visitors highlighting the environmental consequences of a seemingly small piece of litter to the fragile ecosystem in the cave:

“At the scale of human perspective, a spilled snack bag may seem trivial, but to the life of the cave it can be world changing.”

Rangers spent 20 minutes meticulously cleaning “foreign detritus and molds from the cave surfaces” generated by the Cheetos before they spread to the far reaches of the 4,000 foot long, 625 f00t wide, and 225 f00t tall cave:

“The processed corn, softened by the humidity of the cave, formed the perfect environment to host microbial life and fungi. Cave crickets, mites, spiders and flies soon organize into a temporary food web, dispersing the nutrients to the surrounding cave and formations. Molds spread higher up the nearby surfaces, fruit, die and stink. And the cycle continues.”

Remember folks even a small bit of garbage left in a fragile ecosystem can have widespread deleterious effects. We ask all visitors to National Parks to follow the Leave No Trace universal philosophy to protect and preserve both natural resources and the quality of recreational experiences. Follow park rules, don’t be a litterbug and be respectful of natural surroundings.

Source; Unofficial Networks

Man driving stolen vehicle pulls up to pick up friend after DWI arrest

Inver Grove Heights police say a man driving a stolen truck tried to pick his friend up at the police station after a DWI arrest but ended up leading officers on a chase.

Background
Inver Grove Heights police arrested two people early Sunday after officers on patrol found them slumped over in a vehicle on the 7800 block of Cahill Avenue.

The passenger was arrested for outstanding warrants, and the driver was taken into custody for a drug-related DWI.

What happened?
The driver was set to be released to a sober party from the Inver Grove Heights Police Department. However, when her friend arrived to pick her up, officers discovered he had three warrants, was driving a stolen Chevy pickup with incorrect plates from a Toyota minivan, and was wanted by multiple counties.

As officers attempted to open his vehicle door and arrest the man, police say the driver sped off, injuring an officer in the process. The injured officer sustained minor injuries.

Officers chased after the driver, who was spotted shortly after on Highway 52. The chase ended after a South St. Paul officer performed a PIT maneuver, allowing police to arrest the suspect. Three people were found in the vehicle, and two were released with no charges.

What’s next?
The driver of the stolen truck is being held in Dakota County Jail and is set to face new charges aside from his warrants.

Source; Fox9

Man suspected of starting Colorado wildfire also suspected of posing as a firefighter and police officer

An arrest has been made tied to a wildfire that destroyed more than two dozen homes in Colorado.

On Wednesday, the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office announced Jason Hobby as the suspect behind the Alexander Mountain Fire. Hobby isn’t just suspected of starting the fire, he’s also suspected of posing as a police officer and firefighter.

The fire burned nearly 10,000 acres in Larimer County after it was first reported on July 29 west of Loveland. It was contained a little more than two weeks after it started, but not before destroying 29 homes.

The sheriff’s office is reportingHobby worked as an employee at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch.

“Investigators found evidence that before and during the Alexander Mountain Fire, the suspect represented himself as a law enforcement official and certified firefighter, despite having no formal law or fire credentials,” the news release adds. “Evidence indicates that on multiple occasions prior to the fire, Hobby stopped travelers on ranch property while driving a Chevrolet SUV designed to look like a law enforcement vehicle. The suspect reportedly represented himself as law enforcement, falsely told individuals they were trespassing, and pointed a firearm at them.”

The alleged deceit doesn’t stop there. The sheriff’s office says Hobby had a truck that looked like a wildland fire apparatus and he operated under the business name “Twinn Buttes Fire Protection” out of Wyoming. However, there is no record of a registered fire organization by that name.

“During the Alexander Mountain Fire, Hobby bypassed road closures to access restricted areas and represented himself as a wildland firefighter defending ranch property,” the release states.

Hobby is charged with first-degree arson, impersonation of a police officer, menacing, false imprisonment, and impersonating a public official.

“The Alexander Mountain Fire destroyed homes, endangered lives, and scarred our community – literally and figuratively. I’m extremely grateful for our LCSO investigations team and US Forest Service partners who worked nonstop to find answers in this case,” said Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen. “I also want to thank the Sylvan Dale Ranch staff. Despite the fire danger at their doorstep, they were extremely supportive during the fire response and cooperated with our investigation in its aftermath.”

The private and public property damage is estimated at more than $30 million tied to the fire.

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about the suspect, or if they believe they are a victim in an impersonation situation, is asked to call Investigator Justin Atwood at 970-498-5143.

Source; KKTV

Ex-Chicago cop — once a national TV pundit on policing — is now an accused police impersonator

After leaving the Chicago Police Department, Dimitri Roberts became a familiar face on national TV.

The former cop appeared on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and CBS News, offering his insights on police misconduct and proper law enforcement procedures.

Now, Roberts has become the subject of the news after being charged with impersonating a federal agent in Texas. He was previously hit with similar allegations in Chicago and California two years ago, the Sun-Times has found.

Roberts, 44, was a Chicago police officer from 2005 to 2014, city records show.

Last week, he was arrested in central Texas on a charge of impersonating a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Authorities say Roberts was involved in a bizarre encounter at a vape shop there.

It’s not the first time he’s been suspected of playing a cop when he wasn’t one.

On Sept. 1, 2022, Roberts allegedly posed as a police officer at the Shedd Aquarium, where he told a Chicago police sergeant he was an off-duty cop “escorting a foreign delegate to the dolphin show,” according to a police report. He wasn’t arrested and drove away in a red Tesla.

Later that month, on Sept. 12, 2022, a store in Oak Brook Terrace reported to CPD that Roberts tried to buy police uniforms in an apparent effort to impersonate a cop.

The next day, Roberts’ spouse sought an emergency firearm restraining order to allow CPD to seize his guns because he was suffering from a “mental break,” court records show. A Cook County judge signed the order, which doesn’t appear to have been carried out.

At the time, CPD put out a bulletin saying officers should consider Roberts “armed and dangerous” but added there was no probable cause to arrest him.

Then on Sept. 27, 2022, Roberts was arrested in Orange County, California, on charges including impersonating an officer, carrying an unregistered gun and burglary, according to court records that show he was placed in a misdemeanor diversion program.

Roberts couldn’t be reached for comment.

Related
In fake cop case in Chicago, a convicted felon acts as his own lawyer and wins but faces more legal worries
In the years since he left CPD in 2014, Roberts had appeared on national TV news programs as a policing expert.

In 2017, he was on CBS News to discuss the killing of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke. And in 2021, CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Roberts about police body cameras during a segment on Ronald Greene, who died after Louisiana State Police troopers allegedly beat him.

“Well, it’s obvious to everybody, Jake, that what we see on camera is Mr. Greene getting murdered,” Roberts said.

In August 2022, Tapper welcomed Roberts back to his show to discuss another alleged incident of police misconduct. Roberts called a North Carolina police department’s public statements about the case “b——-” and invoked rapper Lil Baby’s lyrics: “It’s bigger than black and white.”

Tapper also asked Roberts about his company, Seven Star Inc., which Roberts said manufactured a product that allowed cops to communicate with civilians when “a coordinated response is required.” But public records show the company involuntarily dissolved in 2017, five years before that TV appearance.

Last week, Roberts was accused of posing as a DEA agent in Travis County, Texas, whose county seat is Austin.

Roberts, presenting himself as a cop, approached a person at a vape shop and asked for his ID, court records show. Roberts told the person he seemed to be “underage” and took his driver’s license. The next day, Roberts showed up at the person’s home, now saying he was an undercover DEA agent who’d been watching him for the past day.

Roberts took the person’s hat, necklace and wallet and made him sit in the back of a gray Tesla, according to the records. Roberts told the person’s father that he’d make his son do “various tasks” instead of arresting him for unspecified crimes. The father doubted Roberts was a federal agent, prompting Roberts to show him websites “depicting himself as Dimitri Roberts.”

Roberts returned the son’s wallet and license to the father. Roberts then went to his car and slapped the son in the back of the head, according to court records. A doorbell camera recorded Roberts striking the son, and Roberts mentioned getting a search warrant before driving away.

Roberts faces a felony count of police impersonation and a misdemeanor assault charge. He was released in lieu of bail, court records show.

Source; Chicago Sun Times

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals