It Sounds Like Quite a Fish Story, but the Bare Facts Are More Mundane
An L.A. County sheriff’s deputy came was kidded about his spelling in the department’s Star News publication, after he cited someone for “possessing 59 strippers.” It wasn’t a vice raid. The deputy had ticketed a fisherman.
Stupid criminal tricks: Deputy Mike Ascolese writes in Star News about an inmate who fled a minimum security jail in San Mateo County and attempted to contact a friend from a pay phone.
Unable to remember the number, the escapee tried to call 411 but instead dialed 911. Naturally, he quickly hung up when he realized what he’d done, but police went out to check.
They found him still wearing his prison shirt, with the words “Property of San Mateo County Honor Camp” under a jacket.
Noted Ascolese: “At least when they took the inmate back to celebrate his reunion with the other prisoners, he was already dressed for the occasion.”
How does the copy editor plead? Jack Goertzen of Studio City, a retired appeals court judge, sent along a police log item that he suspects contains a typo. If not, the prosecution is going to have a difficult time (see above).
This one’s more suspicious: Barbara Dellamarie of Burbank found an ad for what sounded like some illicit armaments (see above).
Department of Redundancy Dept.: Kendra Galiano snapped a shot of a pedestrian sign that contains what seems like a reasonable request (see photo).
Take heed: With the Super Bowl a day away, I’m once again publishing a marquee shot as my annual warning against overindulging (see photo). Maybe this year I’ll listen.
Roggin’s villains: Super Bowl eve is a proper time, I think, for a moment of silence for the XFL (b. 2001, d. 2001), the only pro football league ever co-founded by a wrestling promoter.
In the book “Long Bomb -- How the XFL Became TV’s Biggest Fiasco,” author Brett Forrest recalls Channel 4 sideline reporter Fred Roggin attempting an interview with a player who had the name “He Hate Me” stenciled on his jersey. “He Hate Me,” began Roggin, “tell me about the play.” Instead, He Hate Me ran off, leaving Roggin alone on camera before a national audience.
Forrest wrote that broadcaster Matt “Vasgersian could be heard giggling at his colleague’s embarrassing misfortune.”
miscelLAny: I’ve lived long enough to see many of my idols crumble, so I was apprehensive when Dan Demeo e-mailed me about an EBay item titled, “Three Stooges in the Bedroom Two Women.” But then I noticed the offering was a package of three DVDs. Of course! It would only be logical for a seller to group movies featuring Larry, Moe, Curly, Sissy and Sophia.
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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012 and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.