Woman traded toddler for gun
Mesa, AZ, resident Tanya Nareau is probably not going to be named “Mother of the Year” after being arrested in January for—are you sitting down?—trading her 2-year-old daughter for a gun.
According to the Associated Press, the 33-year-old woman reportedly gave the toddler to an unidentified “family friend” in exchange for the gun. Bad luck for Nareau; she pulled this stunt in Maricopa County. You know, that’s the county presided over by the legendary Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Sheriff’s deputies were called by the friend involved in this swap, and Nareau allegedly traded the child because she believed the friend could better raise her.
Nareau has been charged with the solicitation to possess a weapon by a prohibited person, and unlawful sale of a child.
‘Bull-riding’ in Washington
From the “No Bull” file comes this story from Ridgefield in southwest Washington state that leaves us wondering what happened to the prime rib.
According to the Associated Press, a bull escaped from farmland in Clark County, with sheriff’s deputies and the farmer in hot pursuit. They were reportedly joined by a woman on horseback who tried to corral the bovine, but instead was bucked off when her horse spooked.
This sitcom continued for about five hours, until finally everyone had simply had enough bull, so a Clark County SWAT officer was called in and he plugged the critter with a rifle.
All the report would say is that the bull was hauled away by a rendering business and skinned near a road.
Hunting dog triggers shotgun
One California hunting dog apparently takes the term a bit too literally, according to The Fresno Bee.
Authorities say a 53-year-old central California duck hunter was wounded when his own dog accidentally sent No. 2 pellets into his back by discharging a shotgun while the man was trying to retrieve decoys 15 yards away.
The hunter who was not identified was treated at Los Banos Memorial Hospital and released after a few hours.
The accident occurred Jan. 30 when the female Labrador retriever stepped on her owner’s loaded shotgun, causing the safety to disengage and the gun to fire, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department.
KY sheriff 78 guns missing
One has to wonder whether the anti-gunners’ “lost or stolen gun reporting laws” would have applied in this case.
A southeastern Kentucky sheriff’s office says 78 guns are unaccounted for after the evidence storage room was broken into in December.
The Corbin Times-Tribune reports that the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department based the number on an examination of the evidence room, written evidence logs and documents tracking the release of property from the department. The paper reported that not all the unaccounted for guns are believed to be stolen, only that law enforcement officers could not track the whereabouts of the firearms.
The sheriff’s office reported a burglary Dec. 21 in the midst of a public records dispute with the newspaper concerning how the agency handled seized guns. Kentucky State Police were reported investigating the break-in report in mid-January.
Bruin terrorizes homes
A gigantic, bullet-scarred black bear with a hankering for human food and a knack for breaking and entering has been terrorizing homeowners near Incline Village, NV, on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, and deftly outmaneuvering gun-toting rangers, bear dogs and traps.
The burly bruin—a male that weighs an estimated 700 pounds, roughly twice the poundage of the average adult black bear—has broken into and ransacked more than 40 or 50 homes in Incline Village since last Summer, causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage and more than a few sleepless nights.
Wildlife officials have tried everything, but the food junkie apparently knows a bear trap when he sees one, shakes off bullets like they were mosquito bites, and keeps coming back for more.
The bear has been shot on two occasions while breaking into homes. One of the bullets reportedly bounced off his head.
The ursine prowler, which some have taken to calling Bubba, has learned how to smash out panels on garage doors and rummage through garbage and garage refrigerators. He has a tendency to barge in long after supper time.
Wildlife officials plan to kill the bear if they find him.