What a Steal
In July 2018, three men
entered the Leon Valley,
Texas, aquarium with
a baby stroller. They left
with a new passenger:
a 40-centimetre horn
shark named Miss
Helen. The men, led by
38-year-old Anthony
Shannon, walked
toward a pond before
scooping up the animal
and placing it into the
stroller. Police used
security footage to trace
their car, catching up
soon after at a house.
That’s where they found
Miss Helen swimming
in a professional-level
aquarium. The shark is
valuable, but it appears
Shannon was simply an
avid collector. Now he
too may need to become
accustomed to life in
captivity, as he faces two
to 10 years in prison.Tuber Transgressions
Jordan Lewis of Jackson,
Miss., woke up on an
April morning, walked
to her car and found a
surprise: a Styrofoam
bowl atop its roof.
Inside, a helping of
creamy mashed pota-
toes. She posted her tale
to social media, and
about a dozen strangers
mentioned they’d also
received surprise spuds.
Theories abounded,
from a prank to a sinis-
ter animal-poisoning
ploy. The side dish had
been served in the
school cafeteria the pre-
vious night, but it didn’t
look quite the same—
Lewis’s gift more closely
resembled potato salad.
Lewis has accepted a
simple answer: “Weird
things happen here,” she
says. No need, it seems,
to hash it out further.Crime Sucks
Also in April, three
police officers, a detec-
tive and two canine offi-
cers were dispatched to
a reported robbery near
Portland, Ore. A man
was house-sitting for his
nephew when he heard
troubling noises coming
from the bathroom. The
officers approached,
rifles ready, and
announced their pres-
ence. To their surprise,
they didn’t find a lurk-
ing criminal. Instead,
the home’s Roomba
vacuum had become
confused and was
banging itself against
the wall. Everyone there
was relieved, if a little
embarrassed. The
upside: the bathroom
tile was spotless.BY Nathaniel Basenreader’s digest
60 september 2019
pierre^ lorangerWORLD WIDE WEIRD