ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Pink Floyd poser arrested on charge of theft by swindle

ST. CLOUD, Minn.

A man is accused of pretending to be a member of rock band Pink Floyd at a Minnesota hospital — and racking up as much as $100,000 in unpaid medical bills.

Police say the 53-year-old Monticello man went to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment April 20. He claimed he was Pink Floyd singer-guitarist David Gilmour, and that he didn’t have health insurance. He was treated and released, but not before signing an autograph.

The St. Cloud Times said hospital security was suspicious about the man’s identity and his medical records were flagged. The man returned for more treatment several days later and, confronted by police, admitted he wasn’t Gilmour. The man was booked into the Stearns County Jail on a possible charge of theft by swindle.

Police: W. Pa. man attempted to blame DUI on grandma

ROCHESTER, Pa.

Police say a western Pennsylvania man tried to blame his drunken driving on his grandmother. The only problem is, she wasn’t there.

John Ventresca Jr., 22, of Center Township, faced a preliminary hearing on drunken driving and other charges stemming from the March 2 incident. That’s when Rochester police were called to a convenience store after witnesses saw Ventresca pull into a parking lot, but not before striking other cars and hitting a pole in front of the store.

When police arrived, they say Ventresca told them his grandma had been driving and that she was using the store’s restroom. He explained the erratic driving by saying the woman had a broken shoulder and was taking pain pills.

Police charged Ventresca after finding the woman wasn’t in the rest room — or anywhere else nearby.

California school blunder: All dressed up but no prom

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.

Everyone got stood up at one Southern California high school’s prom. The dance itself was a no-show.

KABC-TV Los Angeles reported that dozens of tuxedo-clad and corsage-wearing teens from Bloomington High School traveled 40 miles to Santa Anita Park on April 27, only to learn they hadn’t been told that the date of the big night had changed.

Instead of the enchanting evening they were expecting, students were served chicken strips in a hastily arranged small hall where they played music from a laptop computer.

The school’s calendar and the prom invitations listed the event as April 27, but it was slated for May 4. Principal Ignacio Cabrera says there was miscommunication with event planners.

A semi-formal substitute event is planned for May 18.

Associated Press