MANILA 
Col. Generoso Necisito gave a "perfectly reasonable" explanation to reporters when asked to explain what happened to $25,000 worth of Marijuana and Cocaine found to be missing from the evidence room of the Manila Police Department. According to the Colonel the rats and cockroaches ate the evidence. 

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 
In September, Daniel O'Toole was ordered released from a state mental hospital for violent criminals. O'Toole had filed numerous petitions asking for release since he began his stay in 1986. Instead of pleading guilty to drunken driving, O'Toole had chosen to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at his 1986 hearing. He was sent to the mental hospital for examination, found to be a "danger to the community" and had been held there ever since. 

BENGLADESH 
Falu Mia, 60, was recently released from prison after 21 years. He had been jailed until his trial for theft in 1972, then found not guilty, but a slow moving bureaucracy failed to release him. 

NEWYORK, NY 
America's Most Wanted gets credit for another memorable arrest. When a picture of John Cosby III, 22, showed up on a TV set watched by prisoners at a New York facility, one inmate tried to quietly leave the room. "We've got a TV star among us!" shouted a fellow prisoner. Within minutes Cosby, who had been arrested under an assumed name after escaping from a jail in Detroit, was in the grasp of the long arm of the on duty guard once again. 
 

CONCORD, CA 
When a pigeon broke Bahab Khanlo's windshield, he did what any modern California would do - he froze the carcass, called the police and made plans to sue. Khanlo brought the frozen bird in his lunch box to report the pigeon drop to the Highway Patrol. "I took the report, pigeon vs. vehicle," said Officer Mike Walker. "I was looking around for Candid Camera - - - I was trying to keep a straight face." Mr. Khanlo said he was serious. He said the pigeon hit his windshield of his 1981 Oldsmobile cracking it. He then retrieved the dead bird, he found it was a racing pigeon with a tag on it's wing. The victim said he will try to track down the owner and may sue for windshield replacement. Officer Walker told Khanlo he could keep the evidence. 

NEWTON, PA 
In August, while planting flowers on his mother's gravesite, Kenneth McLaughlin became stuck for over two hours when the soft ground slowly gave way and trapped him at the knees under the headstone. 

ARLINGTON, VA 
In July, Mollie Brusstar, 48, was convicted of embezzling money from the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, where she had worked in administration. Prosecutors said Brusstar put imaginary employees on the payroll and issued their paychecks to herself. Brussard and her sister went to Utah, posing as nuns, and used the money to obtain dental work and cosmetic abdomen-reduction surgery. Brusstar's defense claimed that the monsignor had approved everything, but he was not available to testify. The monsignor had committed suicide after being accused of molesting a parishioner. 

SANTA ANA, CA 
The Santa Ana Police Department was fit to be tied. It's Canine Unit was slowly decreasing out of existence due to lack of funds. The six dog unit was down to four dogs after Arco died of a heart attack and Sammy was retired for health reasons. A tight budget left little hope for replacements. 

Then there was the 1991 passing of Aunt Laverne (LaVerne Wheeler) an avid animal lover and antique dealer. In fact, when Laverne Wheeler's estate was recently probated, the PD found out she left them a small bequest. The agency is still trying to decide where they could house the 111 police dogs and a mountain of dog food they could purchase with the $612,000 bequest to be used for the K-9 Unit. Sgt. Doyle Smith, unit leader knew just how to begin spending the money. Start out slow, perhaps with the purchase of two new dogs to replace Arco and Sammy, and then get some new gear for the dogs 
 and K-9 officers, and ... oh, yeah  two more dogs 
 for round the clock coverage, and  . 

NEWYORK 
Looking for a fun night out at the ballpark, 40 people from Manhattan rented a bus to see the Yankees play in Baltimore. After all, buses are a safe, good way to get a lot of people from one place to another and you can have a beer at the ball park without concern for your driving. 

When the bus started to weave from lane to lane on the way home, the ·riders· who quickly noticed the bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and an odor of alcohol on the breath of bus driver Woodrow Wilson Jackson, took matters in to their own hands. They arrested him and took control of the bus. Jackson later admitted to having a "couple of beers" while waiting for the game to end. You would think he would have checked who rented the bus. The bus had been rented by 40 cops from Manhattan's 13th Precinct. 

MANCHESTER, NH 
A purse snatcher had second thoughts after he grabbed a woman's purse making his getaway on foot just as the girl's high school cross country team ran by. They chased him until he dropped the purse. 

LEXINGTON, NC 
A fast running 23 year old suspect had the upper hand on police as he was pursued through a neighborhood. Police were slowly losing ground during the foot race until the suspect ran across the grounds of Lexington High School while the football teams practice drills were being held. It gave officers time to catch their breath as the thirty players pile up got sorted out with, you guessed it, the suspect at the bottom of the pile. 

"Just for Laughs" is always looking for articles that fit the humorous to bizarre. If you come across a news article or story that qualifies let us know. Recognition will be sent to your department acknowledging your contribution and you will be on your way to qualifying as an I.A.P.E. distinguished member.