The next couple of weeks will be super busy with a remodel going on at my house. (photos to follow – before and after) Plus I’m teaching at the TenKen Writer’s Retreat this week and taking that trip to Natchez the next! So, I’m going back to the criminals who want to get caught stories. 🙂
But first last week’s Mystery Question:
Here are four scenarios of outrageous actions on crooks who must have wanted to get caught. Three are true, one I made up. Which one is false?
- A man walked into a bank and tried to cash a check for more than $3 billion dollars. He wanted to start a record company. I wonder if he actually thought the bank had that much money in their vaults.
- It was Christmastime and a man wanted a sprig of mistletoe for his front porch. He took his shotgun (which isn’t the best thing to use to hit mistletoe) and fired at the branch. Unfortunately, the mistletoe was in a tree in the middle of a busy mall.
- A family was visiting a state capitol and was taking selfies in front of the state capitol building when they noticed one of the bags they’d set down was missing. When they checked their phones, sure enough, there was the thief, his face in full view, stealing their bag. The police quickly found and arrested him because he hadn’t left the area.
- A man entered a credit union and handed the teller a note that said he had a gun and for her to put all the money in a bag and give it to him. Once he had the money, he ran out to his waiting car and sped away. Later that day the police arrested him at the address printed on in the left top corner of the envelope. He’d used one of his own envelopes with the return address on it to write the holdup note.
And the one I made up is…#4. I probably should have noted the mall in #2 was an outdoor mall, but still…a shotgun in a mall at Christmas???
And now on to more stories about criminals who seem to want to get caught. Three of the following are true, one I made up. Which one is it?
- A teenage boy dialed a drug customer and got the wrong number–he had connected purely by chance to a police officer who didn’t identify himself as such. The teen offered to sell the officer drugs and a time and place for the transaction were arranged…
- Craig’s List is a great way to buy items; it’s also a great way for crooks to lure an unsuspecting person into a trap. Two such robbers answered an ad and set up a meeting to purchase a 2009 Toyota Corolla. When the Corolla owner showed up, the men took the car at gunpoint and fled. A day later police traced the robber who set up the meeting. Seems he’d used his home phone to call and make the appointment.
- Just as in real estate where location, location, location is most important, reconnaissance is most important for a crook. Someone should have told that to the hapless burglar who broke into a taekwondo studio while the taekwondo master was teaching a lesson. Who promptly took the crook out and called the police.
- Then there’s the case of the man who parked his car in his intended victim’s drive and proceeded to burglarize the house. The owner came home to find an unknown car in her drive and checked it out. The man had left his keys and wallet in the seat. When the owner realized what was going on, she grabbed the keys and wallet and took off while dialing 911.
Okay, Super Sleuths, which crime did I make up? Leave your answer in the comment section, and I’ll enter you in a drawing for a book from my library!
[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none”]More crooks who want to be caught. Can you guess which ones? #bookgiveaway[/tweet_box]
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Comments 50
Pure guesswork — number 3. In regard to your last post, I did read a true account of a thief who used his own envelope to write a note asking for money at the bank. Truth is stranger than fiction.
Author
Christine, I’m not surprised. Anything I can think up, I’m sure a criminal has done. lol Thanks for stopping by.
I’ll go with #3 this time. Just a hunch!
Author
We’ll see, Paula, we’ll see. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ll go w/ #1 this time, that a youth mis-dialed and tried selling to police.
Author
Hi Delores and thanks for stopping by! We’ll see if you’re correct next week.
#3
Author
Hi Lisa! Another one for #3. Maybe…thanks for stopping by.
#4
Author
I think yours is the first vote for #4, Mindy. We’ll see next week! Thanks for stopping by.
#3 Surely someone couldn’t be that dumb? LOL
Author
Lots of votes for #3, Lucy. We’ll see if anyone is that dumb next week! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh my. These all sound made up! Amazing what people will do. I am going to go with the majority and guess #3.
Author
It’s amazing what some people will do, isn’t it, Diane? Thanks for stopping by!
#3
Author
Hi Judy and welcome to my blog. We’ll see next week if it’s #1. 😉
I’m guessing #3, but purely a guess…
Author
Linda, I wonder what made you guess #3? Anyhoo…we’ll see next week. Thanks for stopping by!
Hard choices here! 🙂 I’ll go with #1
Author
Hi Rosalyn! Glad they are hard choices. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Ugh, these are hard?! LOL I’ll say #1
Author
😀 So glad you find them hard, Jackie. Thanks for stopping by.
Could it be that the made up stories are based on true situations with a few twists? Hmm! I still say I have read of something very similar to #4. I thought of the possibility the mall was an open one, but I never cared for those after the enclosed malls came into existence. I guess I let my bias affect my choice. I choose #2 this time. It’s just a random selection today. By the way, I just finished “Justice Betrayed” yesterday afternoon. The only problem I had with the book is not actually a problem with the book. The problem was my schedule that kept tossing up interruptions that kept pulling me away. Great story!
Author
Aww, Edward, thanks! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And we’ll see next week if it’s #2…not many votes for that one.
I’m going to go with #2.
Author
Just when I say there aren’t many votes for #2, along comes another one, Beth. 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
I am going with #4.
Author
Hi Gloria! Another one for #4…we’ll see next week. Thanks for stopping by!
#3–surely the crook knew to wait until after hours to break into a taekwondo studio!
Author
You’d think, MS Barb! But who knows…thanks for stopping by!
I’m guessing #1
Author
We’ll see, Suzanne, we’ll see. Thanks for stopping by!
I am going to say #2 because hardly anyone has a landline anymore. I saw on “Live PD” a guy that called a cop’s cellphone and wanted to make a drug buy. When the officer showed up, the guy denied calling him. The cop dialed the number of the person that wanted to make the drug buy. Wouldn’t you know the phone the guy was holding started to ring. Hilarious! I also finished “Justice Betrayed” this week. Loved it! Glad I didn’t have much going on so I could read uninterrupted.
Author
I’m so glad you got a chance to read Justice Betrayed, Sue! And I’m glad you enjoyed it. And really good deducing on the question. We’ll see if you’re right next week.
Hhhmmm I’ll try #3! Again these were super hard!
Author
Victoria, I’m so glad you thought they were super hard! Thanks for dropping by.
I’m going to try guessing #2. The sad thing is that only one of these is false! The other three really happened!
Author
I agree, Colleen! I always think that when I’m researching these questions. lol Thanks for commenting!
I’m using my detective skills and using the old eenie meanie minny moe method….and going with #2…lol! Though as always , all of these can be true.
Author
Love it, Trixi! We’ll see if eenie, meanie, minny, moe works! 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
I guess #3 because I don’t think a burglar would break in while people were in the taekwondo studio.
Author
I like your reasoning, Suzanne! We’ll see Tuesday if it worked! 😉 Thanks for dropping in.
It’s hard to decide which one to pick. I guess I’ll pick no. 3.
Author
I’m so glad it’s hard, Faith! Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
I’m NOT going to say #3, because it seems that I saw an article about that happening. But then again it could have been “fake” news. I’m going with #2 – Who still has a landline!??!?!
Author
Love your reasoning, Holly. We’ll see next week if you’re correct. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I’m guessing #4.
Author
We’ll see Tuesday, Caryl! Thanks for stopping by!
#2 is false.
Author
Hmmm, Debra…you may be right. lol Check back tomorrow and see for sure. Thanks for stopping by.