Officials are warning residents in parts of the country that are experiencing fuel shortages not to store gasoline in plastic bags.
Last week the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reminded Americans that gasoline should only be stored in fuel-approved containers and that the flammable liquid should not be handled near an open flame.
Following a devastating cyberattack that left one of the nation’s largest oil and gas pipelines shut down, states in the eastern U.S. have been experiencing major interruptions to fuel supplies. As many consumers rushed to buy gas reserves, some of them reportedly resorted to extreme measures to store their spare fuel.
“Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline,” tweeted the commission last week. “Use only containers approved for fuel.” In a follow-up tweet, the agency wrote, “We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly. They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it’s dangerous.”
Gasoline can dissolve many types of plastic, including the kind used to make shopping bags and sandwich bags. Despite warnings, there have been numerous reports of people storing gasoline in inappropriate containers.
The pipeline has restarted and officials say normal service should resume soon.
Dead Body Drips Blood On Sleeping Woman
A woman was awakened by blood dripping on her face from the ceiling. Police investigated and discovered that her upstairs neighbor had died.
Newsweek reports that a Texas woman was awakened by dripping sounds last week. At first she though it was raining outside, but then she noticed that blood had splattered onto the walls of her apartment, her bed and even her own face. After investigating, she realized that the blood had leaked from the ceiling, fallen onto the ceiling fan and been flung to different parts of the room.
“It grossed me out, I was in shock, I thought this isn’t real this is a dream, wake up,” Cardenas told reporters. “I called maintenance and they said, ‘Are you sure?’”
Cardenas says she then called 911. Police found the body of her upstairs neighbor lying on the floor. Officers said the neighbor appeared to have been dead for several days and was in an early state of decomposition. The body was reportedly positioned directly over Cardenas’ ceiling fan. “He had carpet, but the blood seeped through to my ceiling,” she said. “They took the fan down and a pool of blood came down.”
Cardenas says she’s trying to find a way to repair the damage done. She told reporters that the apartment complex’s insurance won’t cover the damage done to her belongings. She said she doesn’t have personal renter’s insurance.
Bank Robber Takes a Cab
A cab driver was shocked when police pulled him over last week to arrest an alleged bank robber sitting in his back seat. Without knowing, he was the getaway driver for the heist.
According to FOX2 in Missouri, police contacted Laclede Cab Company dispatcher Matt Beumer last week for help with identifying the getaway car of a bank robbery. Officers said a woman had reportedly committed the act and then left in one of the company’s cabs. Authorities were able to locate the cab’s identification, and Beumer used GPS to track the cab and direct officers to its exact location.
“I said, ‘I can track him in real time if that helps you out any.’ And then we stayed on the phone—it only took them about five minutes or so—reading off the directions and what streets they were on,” he said.
The woman was still in the cab when officers pulled the vehicle over. She was arrested without incident.
Beumer said the cab driver was completely unaware of what was happening. “He was completely flabbergasted. He had no idea until the police rolled up on him. And he said, ‘I didn’t do anything.’” Police say the suspect had called for a ride from the cab company and asked to go to three different banks.
Woman Attacked With Package of Meat
A Walmart shopper was arrested after she attacked another shopper with a large package of hamburger meat.
According to WKYC in Ohio, the two women have had encounters in the past, leading the victim to successfully pursue a protection order against the attacker. According to police, the two women made eye contact while shopping at Walmart and the alleged attacker approached the protected woman. The attacker threatened to beat the woman and her 7-year-old daughter. The attacker allegedly pulled down her protective mask and attempted to spit at the protected woman but failed. She then jumped into the other woman’s shopping cart and allegedly struck her in the face with a 10-pound log of packaged hamburger.
The woman was arrested and charged with assault and violating a temporary protection order. The woman, who police noted had a history of violence, was accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter at the time. The child was released into the custody of relatives.
Bakery Prints Robber’s Face On Cookies
The owners of a Wisconsin bakery found a novel way to ask the public for tips regarding a recent robbery. They printed images of the suspect’s face on cookies and invited customers to “take a bite out of crime.”
According to Nexstar the owners of the Canfora Bakery in Milwaukee, Wis., posted images taken from security cameras located at the bakery on Facebook along with photos of a limited-supply cookie featuring the suspect’s face.
“We invite the Bay View community to come on in and take a bite out of the thief while supplies last,” the bakery said in its Facebook post. Followers were asked to contact police with any information regarding the burglary, and the post quickly went viral.
“He has been identified!” the bakery later claimed in an update. “Thank you to everyone who responded.” It is unclear if police made any arrests, however.