Israeli woman mistakenly junks $1 million mattress
By IAN DEITCH Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:09 PM EDT
Garbage men search for a mattress that reportedly contains one million dollars in... (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
JERUSALEM (AP) An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday and threw out the old one.
The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.
She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.
She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.
The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.
Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.
He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.
The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.
WTF !
Calif. man accused of biting out son's eye
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 2:37 PM EDT
(AP) A 4-year-old boy may be permanently blinded because his father bit out one of his eyes and mutilated the other, police said.
Police said 34-year-old Angel Vidal Mendoza appeared to be under the influence of PCP when he attacked the boy April 28.
Mendoza's son, Angelo Mendoza Jr., was placed in the care of Child Protective Services. According to an affidavit, he told investigators "my daddy bit me on my eyes and hands."
Doctors at Mercy Hospital said it wasn't clear if Angelo will regain vision in his right eye.
After attacking the boy, police said, Mendoza rolled his wheelchair outside and hacked at his own legs with an ax.
The boy's mother wasn't home at the time.
Mendoza is accused of mayhem, torture and child cruelty.
A court hearing set for Wednesday was postponed. Deputy Public Defender Joel E. Lueck said Mendoza was hospitalized, recovering from the wounds on his legs.
Judge Colette Humphrey issued a gag order prohibiting attorneys and investigators from commenting about the case.
Members of the family declined to comment.
Elderly Pa. drug defendants working out plea deal
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 4:26 PM EDT
STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) Two senior citizen sisters accused of selling heroin in northeastern Pennsylvania are trying to work out a plea bargain. The Monroe County district attorney has said that 70-year-old Elizabeth Grube and 65-year-old Elaine Volkert, both of Stroud Township, were making up to $10,000 a week in profits. They gave up their right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Grube's lawyer, Jason LaBar, says "the ladies got caught up in something and just kept rolling along." He says the defendants are cooperating with authorities and hope to avoid jail time.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso said he hopes the defendants' cooperation will cause prosecution of higher-level dealers.
Deputies: Banana used as gun in holdup, then eaten
The Associated Press
Saturday, May 16, 2009 3:59 PM EDT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Authorities in North Carolina say a store owner and a patron thwarted a teen accused of trying to carry out a robbery by concealing a banana beneath his shirt to resemble a gun.
Winston-Salem authorities say 17-year-old John Szwalla entered the Internet cafe Thursday and demanded money, saying he had a gun.
The owner, Bobby Ray Mabe, said he and a customer jumped Szwalla, holding him until deputies arrived. While they waited, Mabe says the teen ate the banana.
Mabe says deputies took pictures of the peel. Forsyth County Sheriff's office spokesman Maj. Brad Stanley says deputies joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence.
Szwalla faces a charge of attempted armed robbery. Jail officials say he doesn't have an attorney.
Information from: Winston-Salem Journal, www.journalnow.com
By IAN DEITCH Associated Press Writer The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 3:09 PM EDT
Garbage men search for a mattress that reportedly contains one million dollars in... (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill)
JERUSALEM (AP) An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday and threw out the old one.
The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.
She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.
She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.
The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.
Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.
He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.
The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.
WTF !
Calif. man accused of biting out son's eye
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 2:37 PM EDT
(AP) A 4-year-old boy may be permanently blinded because his father bit out one of his eyes and mutilated the other, police said.
Police said 34-year-old Angel Vidal Mendoza appeared to be under the influence of PCP when he attacked the boy April 28.
Mendoza's son, Angelo Mendoza Jr., was placed in the care of Child Protective Services. According to an affidavit, he told investigators "my daddy bit me on my eyes and hands."
Doctors at Mercy Hospital said it wasn't clear if Angelo will regain vision in his right eye.
After attacking the boy, police said, Mendoza rolled his wheelchair outside and hacked at his own legs with an ax.
The boy's mother wasn't home at the time.
Mendoza is accused of mayhem, torture and child cruelty.
A court hearing set for Wednesday was postponed. Deputy Public Defender Joel E. Lueck said Mendoza was hospitalized, recovering from the wounds on his legs.
Judge Colette Humphrey issued a gag order prohibiting attorneys and investigators from commenting about the case.
Members of the family declined to comment.
Elderly Pa. drug defendants working out plea deal
The Associated Press
Wednesday, May 13, 2009 4:26 PM EDT
STROUDSBURG, Pa. (AP) Two senior citizen sisters accused of selling heroin in northeastern Pennsylvania are trying to work out a plea bargain. The Monroe County district attorney has said that 70-year-old Elizabeth Grube and 65-year-old Elaine Volkert, both of Stroud Township, were making up to $10,000 a week in profits. They gave up their right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Grube's lawyer, Jason LaBar, says "the ladies got caught up in something and just kept rolling along." He says the defendants are cooperating with authorities and hope to avoid jail time.
Assistant District Attorney Michael Mancuso said he hopes the defendants' cooperation will cause prosecution of higher-level dealers.
Deputies: Banana used as gun in holdup, then eaten
The Associated Press
Saturday, May 16, 2009 3:59 PM EDT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Authorities in North Carolina say a store owner and a patron thwarted a teen accused of trying to carry out a robbery by concealing a banana beneath his shirt to resemble a gun.
Winston-Salem authorities say 17-year-old John Szwalla entered the Internet cafe Thursday and demanded money, saying he had a gun.
The owner, Bobby Ray Mabe, said he and a customer jumped Szwalla, holding him until deputies arrived. While they waited, Mabe says the teen ate the banana.
Mabe says deputies took pictures of the peel. Forsyth County Sheriff's office spokesman Maj. Brad Stanley says deputies joked about charging Szwalla with destroying evidence.
Szwalla faces a charge of attempted armed robbery. Jail officials say he doesn't have an attorney.
Information from: Winston-Salem Journal, www.journalnow.com
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
meow:
Thanks for the set comments! 
meow:
Thanks for the comment on me & Bunni's MR set!