Oddly enough

oddly enough

Flat tire ruins heist

MADRID

There’s nothing like a flat tire to ruin a carefully planned heist.

Spanish police say hooded thieves crashed a van into a courier-service warehouse vault and made off with sacks of valuables recently. They then fled in a waiting Audi but crashed into another car as they merged onto a Madrid highway.

That caused the flat.

The four thieves carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint. No one was hurt, and the thieves got away — but left most of their booty in the back seat of the damaged Audi.

The courier service SEUR said the stolen goods were things of “special value” worth no more than $67,000, although Spanish newspapers said the amount was much higher. El Mundo said the loot included diamonds and Rolex watches.

Photo leads police to bank-robbery arrest

SPOKANE, Wash.

Armed with a good surveillance photo and a little help from the neighbors, police in Spokane, Wash., made an arrest in a downtown bank robbery less than an hour after the crime.

KXLY-TV reports police arrested 49-year-old David Thometz across the street from the Washington Trust Bank branch — in his room at a hotel.

After the morning robbery, police started showing a surveillance photo of the robber to people in the area. Those nearby pointed them to the hotel.

KXLY says records show Thometz was convicted of robbing a Sterling Savings Bank branch in downtown Spokane several years ago.

Hank the cat sets sights on US Senate

SPRINGFIELD, Va.

A new U.S. Senate candidate in Virginia wears a tie, has a campaign website and even launched an ad. One big difference? He has a thick coat of fur.

Hank the cat has thrown his paw into the race, running to mock the political status quo.

The cat’s owner, Anthony Roberts, says he and his partner set up the campaign as an inside joke.

But the campaign’s website has crashed after a recent spate of publicity.

Hank’s campaign posters show the Maine Coon gazing upward, wearing a tie. An ad says Hank, a moderate, will work to make sure America stays the greatest land of all.

Hank is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. James Webb, a Democrat.

Associated Press