The Odd Truth, Oct. 30, 2002
The Odd Truth is a collection of strange but factual news stories from around the world compiled by CBSNews.com's Brian Bernbaum. A new collection of stories is published each weekday. On weekends, you can read a week's worth of The Odd Truth.
Career Criminal
OBERWIL, Switzerland - It probably wasn't the best place to go job hunting.
Swiss police have arrested a burglar who left his resume at the scene of the crime.
Police in northwestern Switzerland said Wednesday they found the resume inside a cardboard folder while investigating the theft of camera equipment worth $6,700 from a home.
The jobseeker admitted to the burglary and to other offenses when questioned. The camera equipment was found in the possession of an accomplice.
Labor Intensive Curriculum
EULESS, Texas — An elementary school teacher gave her 3- and 4-year-old students an unexpected lesson when she gave birth in her classroom.
Rhonda Schafer was able to get the early development class out of the Bear Creek Elementary School classroom on Monday and then called for the school nurse.
The nurse arrived just in time to help Schafer as she gave birth behind her desk at about 2:30 p.m., about five minutes after the first sign of labor. They wrapped the baby girl in a co-worker's sweater, school librarian Cynda Mast said.
The medics arrived in time to cut the cord, Fire Department spokeswoman Christine Cox said. "It was a very nice, quiet environment, if you can imagine that at an elementary school," she said, adding that mother and daughter were in "perfect health."
Earlier that morning, Schafer, who also has two sons, had told Mast that she was due in about a week or whenever the baby was ready.
"I guess she got ready this afternoon," Mast said.
Brutus The Skydiving Dachsund
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Animal lovers are howling over a skydiving dog.
The parachuting Dachshund, known as Brutus the Skydiving Dog, is scheduled to perform at this weekend's Air and Space Show at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
"What we feel is this is cruelty to animals," said Shirley Cram, shelter director and treasurer for the Volunteers for Inter-valley Animals. "It's exploiting the dog. It certainly isn't fun for that dog to jump out of that plane."
Brutus' skydiving partner disagrees.
"He gets all excited when I'm getting my gear ready," said Ron Sirull of Delray Beach, Fla., contending Brutus enjoys his aerial activities. He added, "He's totally up for it."
Sirull said his dog's veterinarian and the Arizona Humane Society have signed off the activity being safe for man's best friend.
Brutus is tucked into a special pouch affixed to his owner's chest for the jump and dons custom-made goggles for what Sirull calls his "fleafall." While Sirull has 1,000 jumps, Brutus has logged 100.
"That's equal to 700 jumps in dog years," his owner joked.
Thief Gets Just Desserts
ELYRIA, Ohio — A candy thief has been ordered to pass out Halloween treats while wearing a sign saying "I'm sorry. I will not steal from children."
Edward Rivera, 23, pleaded guilty Monday to attempted robbery for stealing trick-or-treat candy from a 10-year-old boy last Halloween. Charges of assault and robbery were dropped.
Rivera, of Lorain, knocked the boy down before stealing his candy, said Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Edward Zaleski.
He ordered Rivera to wear the sign and a costume while he hands out candy at a Lorain hospital on Thursday. He also placed Rivera on probation for three years.
"I have a habit of trying to make the punishment fit with the crime," Zaleski said.
Halloween Holdup
WATERBORO, Maine - Police say a Maine ninth-grader tried to get some X-rated videos with a fake gun. Now, authorities in Waterboro are deciding how to proceed in the case of the 14-year-old boy. According to police, the boy put on a Halloween mask and tried to rent a half dozen adult movies from Action Video. When the clerk asked his age, officers say the boy pulled out a phony gun. The kid ran, but he left behind some items that led police to his home. Authorities say he's been charged with attempted armed robbery and released into his parents' custody.
Judge: Breast-Fed 8-Year-Old 'Neglected'
URBANA, Illinois - The case of the breast-fed eight-year-old is back in court. A Illinois judge says Lynn Stuckey's continued breast-feeding of her son amounts to neglect. The judge says Stuckey going public with her story is also exposing the boy to emotional harm. A tape of Stuckey breast-feeding the boy was shown on ABC's "Good Morning America." But Stuckey testified yesterday her son wants to continue to nurse. In the past she's said there's nothing wrong with an eight-year-old breast-feeding. Another hearing is set for November 22nd to determine whether Stuckey will keep custody of the boy.
Strange Man Continues Life-Long Bigfoot Search
MOORHEAD, Minnesota - Mike Quast is after big game, or make that Bigfoot. The Minnesota man says he saw the elusive creature when he was a boy, and has been looking for it ever since. Quast believes he has heard Bigfoot and even found some tracks. But he hasn't seen the big, hairy beast again. Quast believes there's a bias against Bigfoot in the scientific community. He says that's because people think of Bigfoot as a monster, and no one believes in monsters. Quast adds that Bigfoot should be considered just another big animal, worthy of scientific study.