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Men plot Wii crime, make off with console
As if our faith in humanity wasn't low enough, we had to stumble upon this story about a Wii robbery in Wilmington, Delaware. The apocalypse must be closing in.You see, a 41-year-old man had set up to sell his Wii (we have no idea why he would do such a crazy thing, but go figure) at a parking lot (using craigslist?) to 19 year-old Darryl Cebenka, when, during the transaction, another hooded individual robbed both men of Wii and money. Apparently, the robbery was staged and the hooded individual was the 19-year-old's accomplice, 20-year-old Rocco Grossi. They both made off with the Wii and have been charged with a robbery conspiracy. Sadly, both men are still at large.See also: Would-be Wii thief welcomed with a beatdown
Robber holds up bank, doesn't bother to get off his cellphone
Make no mistake, we've seen some fairly boneheaded moves (even someone rocking this very same gaffe!) made by technologically-illiterate bank robbers, but the latest case involves a fellow who was quite the opposite of that. Yes, the 20 to 25 year male who decided to hold up an Alabama bank the day before his taxes were due actually did the deed without hanging up his cellphone. And there's surveillance footage to prove it. Quite honestly, we can't imagine what the conversation here would've been like, but at least he made the most of whatever minutes he had remaining as a free man, right?[Via textually]
Crime spree ends thanks to GPS ankle bracelet
Odds are, if you're committing a series of robberies while wearing an ankle bracelet put on you by the law, you might not be the brightest bulb in the bunch. That's exactly what one Ohio resident got up to recently, though unfortunately for him, he was located by the GPS chip embedded in the aforementioned bracelet. Apparently, after six or so burglaries in his neighborhood, police got wise to the situation and pinpointed James Wombles using signals from his fashionable accessory, finding him innocently relaxing in a vehicle filled up with stolen items. The man had no comment, though we imagine upon capture he might have said something like, "Durrr." Once again GPS technology proves it's not just for getting cars stuck in cherry trees.
'Speed' in a grocery store? FBI investigates telecommuting robbers
High-tech foreign criminals may have hacked into retail security systems in order to remotely monitor customers and employees in the course of at least 12 bold robberies in as many states during the past week, officials say. FBI agents are seeking an individual or group of conspirators who have been calling stores and banks from Texas to Kansas to Rhode Island on pre-paid, overseas cellphones and informing whomever picks up that a bomb will be detonated at the location if funds are not wired to a specific offshore account. What's more, the caller claims to have visual surveillance of the premises and proceeds to give certain accurate details about the environment -- in one case attempting to get a hostage to cut off another's fingers, and in another forcing everyone in the store to strip naked. CNN is reporting that at least $13,000 has been extorted so far -- though the total is likely much higher -- and that investigators are now pursuing a suspect in Portugal "who appears to be linked to the account number" that the money is being transferred to.Read- CNNRead- KPHO[Via Slashdot]
GPS foils PlayStation thieves
A band of would-be PlayStation-delivery truck thieves in Australia had the rug snatched out from under them when police used the vehicle's built-in GPS to track and locate the stolen goods. The truck, loaded with more than $1 million AUD worth of PS2s, was taken from a freight depot in Sydney that the thieves had broken into. The group of evil-doers would have made off clean, save for the fact that local authorities were able to follow the direction and speed of the truck to the gang's suburban shed, where they had begun unloading the game systems -- clearly they should have picked up a few tips from Best Buy's dastardly villains. When questioned later by police, the leader of the ring was reported to have said, "And we would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for your meddling GPS!"[Thanks, Ricky C]
A failed real life attempt at a WoW quest
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/pc_games/A_failed_real_life_attempt_at_a_WoW_quest'; Any readers in the audience who have played through the Draenei starting area (and you should -- it's a fun zone) must remember the Tree's Company quest, in which you are asked to disguise yourself as a tree in order to overhear a secret meeting. Well, while there's no suggestion that World of Warcraft was involved, this weekend a man in Manchester, New Hampshire robbed a bank while disguised as a tree. (He made off with less than $1000 and was later caught.) Obviously, the tree disguise idea doesn't work nearly as well in real life as it did in the game -- as you can see in the security footage to the right, the disguise just isn't working.[via Boing Boing]
Thieves take off with $50,000 worth of cellphones
The anecdotal evidence for a spike in electronics robberies is piling up, with the latest high profile robbery netting the thieves $50,000 worth of cellphones from a T-Mobile store. Three armed men walked into the store in Fort Bend County in Texas on Thursday, and demanded the "good phones" from the store's safe and the tapes from the CCTV. Staff were tied up, and the thieves deposited the phones into black plastic bags and walked out. Unfortunately for the robbers, T-Mobile keeps a good track of its inventory, and can identify any of the phones if they turn up on the network (meaning that the $50,000 sticker value is much lower on the black market). Crime doesn't pay, especially when your stolen goods can be tracked.[Via textually]
Thieves rob Best Buy blind
A diabolical ring of super-thieves has been terrorizing the good people of Tulsa, OK., by conducting elaborate burglaries of stores like Best Buy and Office Depot. In their most recent exploit, the robbers cut two holes in the roof of a Best Buy, rappelled into the store, disabled the alarm system, and then stole more than 40 laptops, a number of plasma TVs and the store's safe. A local crime reporter claims they "leave behind no fingerprints, no witnesses and no surveillance tapes". They also reportedly have super-human strength, psionic powers, and can all fly at nearly supersonic speeds.
Teen thwarts PS3 theft with samurai sword
In what has to be the most bizarre botched PS3 robbery to date, a teenager in Hialeah, FL fended off a burglar with a samurai sword. Last week, Damian Fernandez and his 15-year-old sister Deanne were home alone when the burglars knocked and then forced their entry into the house. While sis hid in a closet, Damian decided to take matters into his own hands. After the burglars ransacked their parents bedroom and were confiscating the empty PS3 box from Deanne's bedroom, Damian struck one of the burglars "in the chest" and proceeded to chase him down the street, sword poised to strike. Hmmm ... so the PS3 was in her room and yet, he chased the burglars down the street with a sword? Wow. That's once crazy, nice big brother.Come to think of it, unless you're in the Hewitt household or perhaps inside a novelty shop in L.A., samurai swords that are easily accessible are often a rarity inside homes where kids are left without adult supervision. Unfortunately for these burglars, they knocked on such a house an nearly met an untimely demise, courtesy of Samurai Jack Damian Fernandez. Anyone else preparing to run to a pawn shop for one of these bad boys? We know, it's crazy to think something like this could happen again ... but you never know.[Via Digg]
Heroic gamer gets well, discharged from hospital
Remember that British gamer Adam Mapleson who was shot breaking up a robbery at a train station last week? Well, he was discharged from the hospital, according to The Register, and has returned home after a week of treatment. The security firm that employed the lady who was being robbed, Loomis, is offering a £25,000 reward for information leading to the capture of the thieves that shot Adam. You can see some rough drawings of the suspects here.The story also points to an online Get Well card set up by the folks who frequent the Pure Pwnage forums. If you want to leave Adam a message, your best bet for him to receive it would be to post there.
Heroic gamer breaks up robbery
When we think of gaming heroes, dudes who can rock a Pac-Man or create some of the industry's greatest games come to mind. That's all changed now, thanks to the heroic, selfless sacrifice of Adam Mapleson, a 24-year old IT consultant and avid gamer. Yesterday, at a train station, Adam sprung into action as two armed thugs robbed a female security officer.Diving to tackle the escaping men, Adam was shot in the chest at very close range. Laying there helpless and in dire need of aid, he was eventually brought to the hospital, where he now resides under the status of "serious but stable." Even though Adam failed to stop the robbers, who got away from the scene, Adam risked his own life to ensure that no one else was injured.Our thoughts are with you, Adam, so rest up and get better.[Via Joystiq]
Thief denied PS3, gets Xbox 360 instead
A robbery at a UK Blockbuster didn't go off as planned when the thief requested a PLAYSTATION 3 and ended up settling for an Xbox 360. The two Blockbuster employees working at the store were apparently approached by the suspect, who brandished a gun and asked for money from the registers. Afterwards, his request for a PLAYSTATION 3 unit was denied, due to the store "not having one available". So he asked for an Xbox 360 and grabbed nearly $800.00 in Xbox 360 games before exiting the store. Police didn't arrive on the scene for almost 20 minutes after the call, due to an address mixup.Seems to go against the grain of reports that PS3s are stocked and widely available. Perhaps a price cut would alleviate threats of future robberies like this? Let's hope so, but don't hold your breath.[Via Xbox360 Fanboy]
Man tries to steal PS3, gets Xbox 360 instead
Apparently a criminal in the UK walked into a Blockbuster store and demanded a PlayStation 3 at gunpoint (they sell consoles there?!) and upon being told they didn't have any, he asked for an Xbox 360 instead. He ended up walking out with that, a few games, and some cash from the register.What cracks us up is what must have been running through the guy's head when he heard "Sorry sir, we're out of those." He had to be thinking he couldn't just leave empty-handed. What if they'd been out of 360s, too? Would he have asked for 200 copies of The Secret? Maybe Blockbuster should have asked him if he wanted to order his console of choice with a downpayment. After all, he had the cash.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Would-be Wii thief welcomed with a beatdown
If you're ever looking to rob someone of their precious gaming goodies (including a Wii) whilst hanging out in Montana (do people even do that?), then you might want to give your idea of burglary some more thought. The 19 year old would-be thief didn't do that, as he was walked in on, mid-rob, by two residents of the apartment, along with a friend. As the burglar began to bolt, apparently drunk (the only way he could muster up the courage, we'd imagine), he led them right back to his car where their Wii and other gaming goodies lay stashed. Tackling the perp to the ground, the group held him until police arrived and nabbed him.Of course, we know any of you would do the same (or worse) ...[Via Game|Life]
PS2 held ransom for gas money
Having trouble getting your deadbeat friend to pay you the money he owes you? Just take his game system and see how fast he comes running with the cash. That was the strategy apparently taken by an unidentified man who stole a PlayStation 2 from Des Moines resident James Kloppenburg while he slept. According to a short article in the Des Moines Register, "Kloppenburg told police he could have the game machine back if he repaid money he owed for gasoline." We can only assume that if Kloppenburg knows who he owes the gas money to, he also probably has a pretty good idea of who took his system. Still, according to the police report, Kloppenburg later decided not to press charges against the suspect. Why drop the charges? Maybe the ransomer threatened to harm Kloppenburg's precious PS2 if he didn't back off. Maybe Kloppenburg decided to steal back his system vigilante style. Maybe Kloppenburg just paid back the gas money and now everything's hunky dory. Whatever the case, one thing's for certain -- when debts come between friends, it's always the innocent game consoles that suffer most.
Man attempts to steal Wiimote, assaults security
Remember how we used to say that our console was the better one because it didn't incite violence among its fanbase? That was fun while it lasted. Now all we have to go on is the price and selection of games.37-year-old Kazunari Tanaka is accused of trying to shoplift a Wiimote and a CD from a Bic Camera in Nagoya, Japan. When security guards accosted him, he (allegedly) started punching, leaving both guards injured.We won't blame the Wii for this crime, although we're sure someone will. People shoplift every day.The Wii doesn't inspire crimes against anything but televisions (against which it instills a murderous rage).[Via NeoGAF; thematically appropriate image taken from this post]
California crooks nab 100,000 microchips
Proving that Malaysian industrial complexes aren't the only venues where shoddy security can facilitate the theft of thousands of PC components, a pair of crooks in California turned a minor fender bender into a successful heist of some 100,000 microchips on Tuesday afternoon. Police suspect that the men had been planning the crime for some time, as the victim's Fremont-bound Mazda MPV had just left a warehouse with $190,000 worth of chips when the robbers rear-ended it with their white van; rather than using weapons to subdue the driver, however, the two thieves simply waited until he exited the vehicle to discuss the accident, when one of them proceeded to slip into the minivan and drive away. The driver of the van followed suit, leaving the victim standing on the side of the road, no doubt confused and worried that his employer would chew him out for being so careless with the precious cargo. Although the brand of chip has not been revealed, since this all went down in Santa Clara, it's not too difficult to figure out whose products got pinched. So far authorities have no leads as to the whereabouts of the chips or the two robbers, but if someone in an MPV with license plate 4NKV115 tries to sell you a CPU for a buck and some change, do the right thing and notify law enforcement officials after you've purchased enough silicon to meet your needs. And if you're driving back home with your cheap booty when someone happens to ram your car, for heaven's sake, don't leave the keys in the ignition when you get out to exchange insurance info.[Via Boing Boing]
Crime spree hits New England game stores
Investigators believe that the theft of $20,000 in systems and games from a Hooksett, N.H., EBGames could be connected to a string of similar thefts across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The thieves are targeting Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 systems because intense interest is driving high resale values according to a report from the Concord Monitor.Detective Matt Fleming warned that thieves may soon expand their focus from stores to homes with new systems, warning owners to "secure them in your homes as best you can." We wouldn't be too worried though -- according to an AP report the thieves in Hooksett "tried to steal the floor model PlayStation 3 ... but couldn't get into the metal cabinet housing it." Foiled... by a kiosk!Read - Concord Monitor reportRead - AP Report
PS3 shooter may have been running scared
The Norwich Bulletin has obtained court documents in the case of the Putnam, Conn. PS3 line robbery that show one of the suspects may have been trying to flee a murderously jealous ex-con. Seriously.Alleged robber Andrew Patnaude said in a signed statement that a Mr. Mayheu "stuck a gun, a long-barreled revolver, in [Patnaude's] face," two nights before the robbery because Patnaude had begun dating Mayheu's girlfriend while Mayheu was in prison. What the article doesn't tell you is that the girlfriend just recently woke up from a coma believing she was her evil, half-twin Bernice.The article also reveals portions of a 911 call made by victim Michael Penkala and testimony from a second suspect, William Robertson, who said he reluctantly took part in the robbery to help Patnaude. Because if you're not willing to help with armed robbery, what kind of a friend are you, really?Previously on "PS3 Line Shooter Theatre":Initial reportsMore about the victimTwo suspects arrestedThird suspect arrested
PS3 thefts spread across the Pacific
It seems that the robberies and violence surrounding the PS3 launch are not just limited to the United States. The Associated Press reported yesterday on a shipment of 180 PS3s that disappeared from the front of a Tokyo warehouse in advance of shipment to retailers. Police said a Meitetsu Golden Air Cargo employee noticed the systems were missing about four hours after they were stacked in front of the warehouse.The crime was a bit more personal in Endeavour Hills, Australia, where the Berwick News reports a 38-year-old man was pushed to the ground and robbed of his "Playstation" while walking a suburban street at 1:30 a.m. The article doesn't specifically state that the system was a PS3, but we can't think of any reason why a man would be walking the streets with any other Playstation product in the wee hours of the Australian PS3 launch day.In domestic PS3 crime news, a third suspect has been arrested in the shooting and attempted robbery of a Putnam, Conn. man waiting to buy four PS3s on launch day last month. Armando Guzman, 28, is being held on a $1 million bond after being charged with attempted murder, robbery, assault and other crimes. It's not yet clear what role police believe Guzman had in the crime or how he is connected to the two other men accused of the same crimes. The victim's description of the incident included only two gunmen.Read - Playstation 3 consoles stolen from Japanese warehouseRead - Man Robbed of PlaystationRead - Third suspect charged in Playstation shooting
