oddly enough

oddly enough

‘Selfie’ photo leads to burglary arrest in California

CHULA VISTA, Calif.

Authorities say it was a “selfie” that led detectives to a suspect in the burglary of a Southern California church.

U-T San Diego reports detectives found a phone at the crime scene in Chula Vista, where a laptop, cash, watches and other items were stolen.

On the phone was a photo the suspect apparently had snapped of himself.

Residents recognized the man in the photo, and on Tuesday police arrested 26-year-old Adam Howe.

A search of his belongings uncovered property believed to be stolen from the Hilltop Tabernacle Church and an RV parked nearby.

Further investigation led to the arrest of two other people who also were found with stolen property.

Rare owl stolen from Washington bird sanctuary

SELAH, Wash.

Investigators are seeking the public’s help in finding out who stole a rare owl from a central Washington bird sanctuary.

The 14-year-old tawny owl was taken Friday from a building on the Raptor House property in the small Yakima Valley city of Selah, the Yakima County sheriff’s office said.

Shannon Dalan, who helps run the sanctuary with his wife, Marsha, said it was obvious the owl didn’t fly the coop on his own: Someone took off a lock to the building, removed latches and unhooked the leash holding the owl, named Sherman.

The bird is glove-trained and frequently is displayed in classes, the sheriff’s office said. Sherman weighs less than a pound and has reddish-brown feathers and pink eyelids.

The tawny owl is native to Europe and Asia, not North America, and Sherman could be worth $3,000 to $4,000 on the black market, Shannon Dalan said.

“This bird is rare,” he said. “They knew what they were looking for. The person who stole it walked past other, native birds.”

The Raptor House is home to about 20 birds, including other owls, hawks, falcons and eagles. Some are being rehabbed for return to the wild, and others that can’t be released are used for education.

Lull in 911 calls during Super Bowl

EVERETT, Wash.

The number of 911 calls dropped 31 percent during the Super Bowl, compared with a typical Sunday at the SNOCOM emergency dispatch center for southwest Snohomish County. Executive Director Debbie Grady told The Daily Herald that the number of calls spiked up 75 percent immediately after the Seahawks won.

The SNOPAC dispatcher center reported a similar pattern and said most of the calls after the game were noise complaints about fireworks.

Associated Press