From the birthday suit to a gang of gladiators, this Halloween, we bring you a list of the 2011 top 5 criminals in costume.
5. Erin Holdsworth: Birthday Suit
When police in Bainbridge, Ohio, stopped a 128-mph car chase, they discovered 28-year-old Erin Holdsworth highly intoxicated and nearly naked. The high-speed chase came to an end only when police used stop sticks to puncture the tires of her car. When she finally pulled over, Holdsworth stumbled out wearing only a fishnet top, white g-string, and sneakers. The excitement didn’t stop there, however. The feisty nude made quite a commotion and as a result, Holdsworth was arrested on multiple charges including driving under the influence (DUI), fleeing, criminal damaging, driving with a suspended license, refusing a chemical test, speeding, and reckless operation. Her birthday suit, however, doesn’t seem to have landed her any additional charges. According to Bainbridge police, “In the state of Ohio, [public nudity] has to be a willful wanton act, which in this case she wasn’t really walking around or displaying herself to the public.” Watch the video here.
4. Gregory Liascos: Moss Man
Oregon man Gregory Liascos was arrested earlier in October while trying to break into the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Liascos allegedly cut a hole in the wall of the museum while wearing what appears to be a nature disguise. He wasn’t apprehended until a police K-9 chomped down on what appeared to be a grassy hill, only to hear the patch of earth let out a yelp.
Liascos claims the entire incident was a misunderstanding and that the ‘Moss Man’ disguise was just a Halloween costume from his kids. Liascos failed to appear for his court date and an arrest warrant has been issued.
3. Jacob Kiss: Gumby
In September, 19-year-old Jacob Kiss dressed up in a full-body Gumby suit and attempted to rob a convenience store. His costume hindered his efforts, however. Kiss told the cashier, “This is a robbery,” then spent the next few minutes fumbling around his costume for a weapon. Eventually, he gave up and left, but only after shedding 26 cents in coins. Police were notified and San Diego residents were urged to be on the lookout for a tall, green, bendy man. Kiss confessed to the attempted robbery on September 14th.
2. Italian Gang: Gladiators
This August, Rome police executed a sting operation that nabbed 20 gladiator impersonators at the historic coliseum. The gang members, comprised of 7 families working with 5 tourist agencies, are accused of attacking their competitors. The police who conducted the raid disguised themselves as gladiators and were attacked by the gang until more undercover officers intervened. According to police, criminal gangs have overtaken the tourist industry and competition is fierce surrounding Italy’s most famous landmarks.
1. Phoenix Jones: Seattle’s Superhero
A Seattle man who dresses up as a masked crime-fighter and goes by the name of Phoenix Jones was arrested in early October. According to police, Jones saw a group of people leaving a nightclub in downtown Seattle and jumped in the midst, spraying the group with pepper spray. Jones insists he was only using the pepper spray to break up a fight, but he has been charged with four counts of assault for spraying the revelers.
Crime-fighting is not new to Jones, who has patrolled the streets of Seattle for about a year in search of crime and publicity. Seattle Police spokesman Mark Jamieson says it’s unclear how many crimes Jones has been involved in, but that people should call 911 rather than take the law into their own hands. Jones’ representative says that despite the arrest, Jones plans to keep fighting crime in Seattle.
Want more crazy criminals? Read about the Florida man caught stealing underwear, the man who robbed a bank for $1, or the man from New Hampshire who faked a brain injury so a nurse would change his adult diaper!
Related Sources:
USA today
Huffington Post
NY Post
AFP
CNN
