■UNITED STATES
Debit card foils robber
Would-be robbers take note: Don’t use your debit card during a holdup. A West Virginia man who police said attempted to rob a convenience store instead ended up buying a soft drink with his debit card — ultimately leading to his arrest, WCHS-TV reported. Shawn Thomas Lester, 33, told the store clerk on Monday that he had a gun and wanted all the money in the register, police said. But the suspect got flustered when a customer walked in and the clerk told him to pay for the soft drink. Lester handed over his debit card, then signed the receipt “John Doe” and left without any cash. Police traced the debit card and found Lester, of Charleston.
■UNITED STATES
Fake guard rips off church
Police say a man posing as an armored car guard made off with more than US$145,000 from a church. Police Officer Katie Flood said on Wednesday that a man dressed as a guard walked into the financial office of the Berean Church on Tuesday and told an employee he was there to pick up the weekly deposit. The employee said the man appeared to know what he was doing, so she gave him the deposit of more than US$145,000 in cash and checks. The real armored car and driver arrived about 15 minutes later and church employees realized they had been robbed. Flood said no one saw what vehicle the fake guard used.
■UNITED STATES
Defendant stabs judge, shot
A man on trial for murder in California was shot dead on Wednesday after leaving the witness stand and stabbing the judge hearing his case, police and local media reports said. David Paradiso, 29, was killed after attacking Judge Cinda Fox shortly after being cross-examined during his trial in Stockton, east of San Francisco, San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Department said. It was not clear what Paradiso used to carry out his attack, but local media cited Paradiso’s family as saying they had warned authorities their relative may try to take a weapon into court during the trial. Paradiso was reportedly shot dead by the detective who had led his murder investigation.
■COLOMBIA
Cocaine kingpin extradited
Bogota extradited one of its most-wanted drug lords to the US on Wednesday to face charges of running an armed cocaine-smuggling gang with his twin brother, police said. Ex-paramilitary leader Miguel Angel Mejia Munera was handcuffed and wearing a bullet-proof vest before he boarded a US Drug Enforcement Administration plane in Bogota bound for the US, which had offered a US$5 million reward for information leading to his capture. Mejia, 49, had been held in a high-security prison since his arrest last May.
■UNITED KINGDOM
Kennedy knighted
He won’t be allowed to call himself Sir Ted, but US Senator Edward Kennedy has been awarded an honorary knighthood. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced the honor on Wednesday during an address to a joint session of Congress in Washington. Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer, did not attend Brown’s speech. Brown said Kennedy had helped bring peace to Northern Ireland, expand health care for Americans and improve access to education for children around the world. Brown referred to the senator as “Sir Edward Kennedy,” although unlike British knights he is not entitled to use the honorific “Sir” before his name.
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