Stupid people of the week

Motorcyclist Stops To Feed Bears, Ends Up On The Menu

Up first is a Darwin Award Nominee

One reason motorcyclists love doing what we do is that we are riding through nature rather than watching it go by from inside an air-conditioned cage. But there are limits to how close we should get to said nature. One Italian rider got a bit too close to a bear and lost his life as a result.

The incident occurred on the famous Transfagarasan Highway. This mountain road is like a roller coaster with its turns and elevation changes, making it a well-known favorite of Jeremy Clarkson and a bucket list road of our own Andy Kalmowitz. According to Observator News, a 48-year-old motorcyclist stopped to feed the bears several times along his journey; The Independent has identified him as Omar Farang Zin. His most recent Facebook post from July 2, 2025, has several photos of bears along the nearby Transalpina highway, including a selfie with one. Observator News reports that Zin was actively taking pictures and video of the bear that killed him near the Vidraru Dam, and that he offered the bear food. Authorities found his phone nearby.

The Transfagarasan area has become quite popular with bears as well as humans, leading to inevitable clashes. Overpopulation has become a problem, leading to the bears depleting natural food sources and turning to humans who voluntarily feed them instead. Feeding the bears has become a popular activity, despite warning signs, fines, and it being a generally bad idea. The bears have gotten quite used to people and walk right up to them fearlessly. The Romanian government already doubled the number of annual permitted bear kills last year, and is considering removing their protected status altogether to try and get the population under control.

These measures wouldn’t be necessary if people would just stop feeding the bears. The population would naturally drop back to a sustainable level, and the bears that remain would have no reason to approach and attack humans for food, making the area safer for everyone. Bears may look cute, but they’re still wild animals, and wild animals of any species may attack at any time without warning. Just ask Boris Johnson. As the National Park Service says, “Don’t pet the fluffy cows.”

Source; Jalopnik

Polk County deputy accused of stealing cash during traffic stop resigns after arrest

A Polk County deputy is off the force after investigators say he took cash out of a driver’s wallet during a traffic stop, leading to his arrest.

The backstory:
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Justin Register, 28, pulled over a vehicle near Fort Meade.

Two other deputies who had arrived as backup later said they saw Register put the driver’s wallet and phone in the trunk of his patrol car, then return to the trunk and take $82 out of the wallet before handing it to the driver’s daughter.

PCSO says the driver noticed $300 was missing, at which point Register returned to the patrol car, pulled folded cash out of a bag and said, “Oh, here it is.”

Sheriff Grady Judd says an investigation began after the other deputies spoke to their lieutenant about the incident.

Register was arrested for petit theft and resigned Wednesday afternoon, with the sheriff’s office saying he would have been fired if he hadn’t resigned.

Dig deeper:
Register had been with the sheriff’s office since May 2018, according to the agency.

What they’re saying:
“It makes me so angry I could chew the bark off of oak trees because he betrayed the community’s trust,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “That’s why he’s not a law enforcement officer anymore.”

What’s next:
Register was a drug recognition expert and was recognized for making more than 200 DUI arrests, so the sheriff says all of those cases may be in jeopardy. He’s working with the state attorney to review them.

Anyone with concerns about Register’s conduct during previous investigations is urged to contact PCSO’s administrative investigation section at 863-298-6506.

Source; Fox13

Motorist in California found with open container, 70 empty Bud Light cans

Bud Light? People still drink that?

A motorist in California wine country suspected of driving under the influence last weekend had an open container of alcohol in the cup holder and 70 empty cans of Bud Light in the vehicle, police announced.

The driver, who has not been identified, caught the attention of police while struggling to stay in his lane in the Sonoma County town of Cotati, about 45 miles north of San Francisco.

“While conducting a field sobriety test, it was determined that the driver was more than 3 times the legal limit [at] .25% blood alcohol content,” police said.

The man was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and driving on a suspended license.

“Once the driver was arrested, a search of the inside of his car was completed, and over 70 empty beer cans were located.”

Authorities went on to remind people that drinking and driving is not worth the risk.

In 2020, according to the most recent data released by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, nearly 32% of all fatal crashes were alcohol involved.

“The outcome could have been much worse had our officers not stopped the driver,” Cotati police officials said.

Source; KTLA

Prince William Co. police officer allegedly stalked victim using police database: PWCPD

A Prince William County police officer allegedly stalked a woman for months and used the agency’s criminal information database to do so, county police officials announced Wednesday.

Godson Vondee, 42, is facing several stalking-related charges after police said he used the database to obtain information on the victim and traveled within the area of the victim’s home several times over a 15-month span, according to Prince William County police officials.

“These actions are a betrayal of our oath of office and are not reflective of the values and professionalism expected of the members of this agency,” said Chief Peter Newsham, Prince William County Police Department, said in a statement. “Such actions violate the trust within our community, and I expect the accused to be held accountable.”

Police records indicated Vondee searched the victim five times, once in 2023 and four times in 2024, to gather details; he was also on duty during each search, officials said.

Vondee, who’s been with the agency for six years, was placed on administrative leave after allegations were brought up and an investigation began in June. Officials said they’ve also begun an internal administrative investigation.

Vondee was charged with a count of stalking and five counts of using a computer to obtain identifying information and is being held without bond. A court date is scheduled for August 19.

Source; WJLA

Category: Crime, Darwin Awards, Police, Stupid Criminals