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Tag: vandalism

  • Justin Bieber Charged in Egging Incident

    Pop singer Justin Bieber is set to be formally charged with a misdemeanor count of vandalism stemming from an egg throwing incident in January in his Calabasas, California neighborhood.

    A former neighbor of Bieber called 911 to report that eggs were being lobbed over the pop star’s fence, which caused an estimated $20,000 worth of damage to the targeted property. Residents of the affluent neighborhood had previously reported several incidents allegedly involving Bieber, 20, including speeding on the neighborhood streets. Bieber has since sold his home in the area to professional celebrity Khloe Kardashian.

    Bieber’s attorney Shawn Holley has called Bieber’s egging incident a “silly prank.” Though, the case had been seen as a “wobbler,” meaning it could teeter between a felony or misdemeanor. The Los Angeles County district attorney decided to go with a misdemeanor charge, which means Bieber does not have to appear in court, though Holley is expected to make an initial appearance on his behalf in Van Nuys today.

    One might get egged if they mess with Beliebers:

    The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department searched Bieber’s home on January 14 for video from Bieber’s security cameras to assess what transpired the night of the egging. While there, Bieber’s frequent house quest, Lil Za, legally known as Xavier Smith, was found with ecstasy pills, and was arrested for felony drug possession and vandalism. Lil Za, younger brother of rapper Lil Twist, pleaded “no contest,” and was granted probation.

    Bieber was also arrested in Miami in January after being pulled over for drag racing. The underage singer was charged with driving under the influence, and that case is still pending, though an insider has revealed that Bieber will likely be able to strike a plea deal to avoid trial.

    In related news, Bieber joined pop star Carly Rae Jespen for a rendition of “Call Me Maybe” at their manager Scooter Braun’s wedding:

    Image via Youtube

  • Smart Car Tipping Continues In San Francisco, Pranksters At Large

    The police reported more incidents of smart car tipping in Twin Peaks and Cole Valley in San Francisco. The latest incidents happened at 3:41 am and 5:38 am on Friday.

    Around two months ago, there were also reports of smart car tipping in Bernal Heights. Three smart cars were turned to their sides by pranksters.

    Authorities say that the act of smart car tipping is a form of felony vandalism. It may be the urban equivalent of cow tipping, which is a rural activity wherein pranksters sneak up on cows and push them over on their side. The activity comes from the presumption that cows can easily be pushed over, as they have weak legs.

    Pranksters in San Francisco resorted to smart car tipping, as these two-door cars weigh less than 2,000 pounds, which makes them easier to move or “tip” compared to other regular vehicles. The act of smart car tipping started in Amsterdam in 2009, and then spread to Canada and the United Stated by 2011.

    Authorities are still after the vandals who are carrying out the prank all over San Francisco. However, they have found no evidence for the motive behind the tipping of smart cars so far.

    They are investigating the incidents based on the statements of an eye-witness who saw around six to eight hooded people flip over a smart car back in April.

    Smart cars are abundant in San Francisco, as residents prefer smaller vehicles due to the tight parking spaces in the area. Smart cars are also an eco-friendly alternative to standard vehicles.

    The Smart Automobile headquarters is located in Boblingen, Germany. It was invented in the 1990’s by the same maker of the Swatch watch. The automaker’s goal was to create an ultra urban car that is also environmentally friendly.

    Image via YouTube

  • Smart Car Tipping Prank Investigated in San Francisco

    Smart Car owners in San Francisco have to be wondering whether the great mileage their cars get is worth it now that they are finding themselves targets for a prank called “Smart Car tipping.” Similar to cow tipping, vandals are pushing over the lightweight Smart Cars, which can completely total the car.

    According to SFGate, Smart Car tipping has been happening around the world for nearly a decade, but just hit San Francisco. There were four reports of Smart Car tipping on Monday. There have been no arrests or suspects so far, making it likely that the Smart Car tipping spree will continue.

    No one knows why these vandals are targeting Smart Cars. It could be that the vandals really hate these environmentally friendly vehicles, or are just people looking to cause trouble. Since Smart Cars weigh in at less than 2,000 pounds, they are expensive property that can be easily and quickly vandalized. As you can see in the video below, it only took a few young guys a matter of seconds to tip a Smart Car over on its side:

    Check out one of the Smart Cars tipped over in the spree below.

    Andrew Smith was shocked to find his Smart Car tipped over on its roof early Monday and tells KCBS that the car was totaled. After getting past the initial shock, Smith admits that the prank was somewhat humorous. “Actually, I thought it was kind of funny,” Smith said. “It is just an object. I have lived in San Francisco for 20 years and I am not immune to the insanity that takes place in this city.”

    Judging from the Twitter comments surrounding the Smart Car tipping spree, Smith isn’t the only one who thinks the prank is funny:

    While some people are getting a kick out of the prank, Smart Car owner Kathy May says this is no laughing matter. “I am a retired licensed, clinical social worker,” said May. “But if you turn over my sweet, little car, we will not be talking out your problems. I will go directly for vengeance.”

    Aside from facing May’s wrath if vandals go after her car, Smart Car tippers are also facing charges of felony vandalism if they are caught. In the case of a totaled Smart Car, someone found guilty on a felony vandalism charge could face up to three years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000.

    Image via YouTube

  • Anne Frank Literature: 265 Books Destroyed in Tokyo

    Since January, a vandal has been making the rounds, ripping pages out of Anne Frank books in libraries across Tokyo, Japan.

    Police investigators have counted a total of 265 damaged books.

    One of the most renowned, historical books of the Holocaust victim includes The Diary of a Young Girl, which details a firsthand account of Anne Frank’s experience.

    Evidence has shown that dozen of pages were ripped out of the book. Investigators believe that the books may have been searched in the librarian database.

    One library has now relocated their copies in a safe area behind the counter of the checkout area.

    There is reportedly no motive behind the vandalism, or is there?(image)

    The Associated Press implied that the former relationship between Germany and Japan could be the reason why the “paper-reaper” is targeting Anne Frank literature.

    Japan and Nazi Germany were allies in World War II, and though Holocaust denial has occurred in Japan at times, the motive for damaging the Anne Frank books is unclear. 

    According to BBC News, Japan has no history of anti-Semitism. Associate Dean Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which is a Jewish rights organization, believes otherwise.

    “The geographic scope of these incidents strongly suggest an organized effort to denigrate the memory of the most famous of the 1.5 million Jewish children murdered by the Nazis in the World War Two Holocaust,” he told BBC.

    Literature about Anne Frank has been popular among the Japanese community for years. Historians from Israel have confirmed that young adults in Japan are more receptive towards the Anne Frank story than any other age group.

    The The Diary of a Young Girl was first translated in 1952 and became a bestseller in Japan a year later. The country reportedly ranks second to the United States the number of copies sold.

    Images via YouTube

  • Ancient Rock Charges: Felling Formation Is A Felony

    The two Boy Scout leaders who knocked over a historic boulder at Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park last year were formally charged on Friday, park department officials report.

    45-year-old Glenn Taylor and 42-year-old David Hall toppled the protected formation in October during a trip they took with eight Boy Scouts. Although Taylor claimed that he did it because the mushroom shaped sandstone pillar was about to fall down and was thus dangerous, there is no definitive evidence supporting this claim.

    Following the incident, both men have been ordered to appear in state court on March 18. The charges that are against Taylor and Hall are respectively one count of felony criminal mischief and one count of felony aiding and assisting in criminal mischief. They each could potentially be penalized with up to five years in prison, $5,000 in fines, and costs for damages incurred.

    Emery County Attorney David Blackwell indicated that a defense claiming that the rock presented an imminent danger or that it was about to tip over “would need to have a lot of expert testimony, and it would probably go both ways.”

    Taylor and Hall alleged back in October that the intentions behind their actions were good inasmuch as they were attempting to prevent someone from getting hurt. They added, however, that they later wished they had simply brought it to the attention of a park ranger instead.

    “We did something right the wrong way,” Taylor told NBC news last year.

    The formation in question had been balanced undisturbed since the Jurassic Era. Considering the Boy Scouts have a “Leave No Trace” policy for the outdoors and that the rock managed not to fall on anyone for 170 years before the ex-boyscouts overturned it, these two may have a little trouble convincing anyone of their claim in court.

    Also unhelpful to their case could be the fact that the video shows two 40-something-year-old men comporting themselves a bit more like giddy teenage reprobates than benevolent boulder conquerors.

    Image via Youtube

  • Justin Bieber: Did Obnoxious Act Justify Search?

    One minute you’re a pretty boy singer with saggy pants just tossing eggs at your neighbor’s house. The next thing you know, the police are searching your home for proof….of an “egging”.

    The bizarre scenario began a week ago when Justin Bieber was video-taped by his irate neighbors throwing eggs at their home. The a short while later the video footage was sent to TMZ.

    In the 47 second video clip, the homeowner can be heard that he can “f**king see” Justin Bieber on his property. A person who admittedly sounds a lot like Bieber is responding that he has “another one”, a possible admission to trespassing and vandalism. The video isn’t the clearest and TMZ’s trademark doesn’t help, but the voice is definitely recognizable.

    After the incident occurred, Bieber’s neighbors took pictures of the damage caused by the vandalism and claimed that his little stunt resulted in $20,000 worth of damage. A drop in the bucket of Bieber’s fortune, he had offered to pay for the damages.

    But the story doesn’t end there.

    The act of vandalism led to Los Angeles County law enforcement descending on the home with a search warrant. Eleven cop cars were at the scene of the search, where cops were hoping to find definite proof of Bieber’s actions.

    During the search, an associate of the singer was arrested on drug-related charges. There’s no reports yet of drugs being linked to Bieber, but police say that though he was not detained for drugs, he’s not yet been cleared.

    Not everyone approves of the show of police force. California-based criminal defense attorney David Wohl told FOX411 his opinion of the whole matter.

    “Cops are going to extraordinarily lengths to try to prove what is a relatively minor crime. Rest assured if the average person has their house egged, cops will not respond with the felony warrants and a battering ram. This is a frankly embarrassing response by cops who appear to be hell bent on finally making something stick to this Teflon pop star.”

    Was Justin Bieber’s behavior enough to justify such a raid? Opinion will likely be divided as Bieber’s behavior continues to baffle and annoy about as much as his singing.

    Image via TMZ

  • Howard’s Rock Hit By Vandalism Again, Police Now Investigating

    Howard’s Rock has been one of the greatest tradition in college football since it first led the Clemson Tigers to victory against Virginia in 1966. It’s understandable then that fans are outraged that the rock has been hit by vandalism.

    Clemson University reported Tuesday that Howard’s Rock was vandalized on June 2 or 3. The school says that a small portion of the rock was broken off. To get the piece, the vandals also had to break the glass case that protected the rock for many years.

    Clemson University Athletic Director Dan Radakovich says that the school is taking this particular case of vandalism very seriously as it has affected “an important part of [their] history.” He also says that police are now investigating the incident.

    Now, you may be wondering to yourself – why get so worked up about a rock? Howard’s Rock is seen as a good luck charm of sorts at Clemson University. Players would rub the rock before games and they found that it actually worked. It’s more of a motivational thing for players, but the rock has become engrained in the school’s culture now. It’s similar to a national symbol in that the school goes to great lengths to protect it. In fact, the Clemson University ROTC is hired to protect the rock for 24 hours before each game against South Carolina.

    The Clemson University ROTC only started protecting the rock, however, after it was vandalized in 1992. At that time, a fist sized chunk of the rock was made away with. Coach Frank Howard, whom the rock is named after, said he wouldn’t press charges against those who vandalized his rock. Instead, he would “run them up and down those stadium steps or give them 200 laps around the field.” It’s safe to say that Howard would say the same thing if he were still alive today.

    [Image: Fuzzy510/Wikimedia Commons]

  • Hacked Road Sign Warns Of Dalek Invasion

    You may remember a few years ago when pranksters hacked one of those big electronic road signs in Texas and changed it to read “ZOMBIES AHEAD.” The story made the news all over the country, and brought to light the fact that such signs are often not secured with passwords they way they ought to be (though they are physically locked, requiring vandals to actually break in to make changes).

    Well, it seems some Doctor Who fans in Boulder, Colorado decided to put the security on those signs to the test themselves. It seems that after breaking the locks on the sign’s control box, they found that security on the sign was again not quite as tight as it should be, so they changed it to warn passersby of a Dalek invasion:

    (image)

    Tampering with road signs is illegal, and authorities in Boulder are currently investigating the situation in an attempt to ascertain how the vandals were able to break in and change the message.

    If you’re one of the all-too-many Americans who aren’t familiar with Doctor Who, the Daleks are the Doctor’s primary nemesis (think the Borg in the 1990s Star Trek: The Next Generation). First introduced in 1963’s The Dead Planet, the Daleks have cropped up regularly throughout Doctor Who‘s nearly 50-year run, nearly always bent on exterminating all non-Dalek life. Their squawky voice and distinctive trash can-like shape have made them one of the most iconic villains in science fiction history. In the video below, you can see them facing off against another of the Doctor’s most fearsome enemies, the Cybermen: