Fingerprint Fail: 5 Craziest Crimes of Week

A hamster named Link and some sheep-related codewords factor into this week's craziest crime stories:

• Busta Rhymes Nabbed in Assault With Weird Weapon: "Stupid." That's how Busta Rhymes describes the circumstances around his arrest and charge of second-degree assault Wednesday after a spat at a Manhattan gym. Rhymes, born Trevor Smith, visited Steel Gym around 8:30pm and allegedly argued with a front desk employee. Things spiraled from there.
• Couple Allegedly Swipes a Kindergarten Pet: Normally, burglars target things like expensive electronics over things like, say, small, ubiquitous rodents, but police in rural Maine say a couple have been busted for swiping a hamster named Link from the kindergarten classroom of the Cornville Regional Charter School last week. The sheriff has a theory about what 26-year-old Gerry Braley and 19-year-old Alexis Lloyd might have wanted with the little guy.

• Cops Crack Mafia's Bizarre Sheep Farming Code: Sicilian Mafia boss Matteo Messina Denaro has been on the run since 1993, but Italian police hope a series of raids early Monday will bring them closer to putting one of the most wanted criminals in Europe behind bars. Authorities say they arrested 11 alleged associates of Denaro, who heads Cosa Nostra, after deciphering messages that used some unusual codewords.
• 11 Bounty Hunters Try to Raid Police Chief's Home: Asking for tips on social media isn't the most reliable way to track down a fugitive, as 11 armed bounty hunters found out the hard way in Phoenix on Tuesday night. They converged on a home around 10pm only to discover, after a confrontation, that it was the residence of Police Chief Joseph Yahner—who confronted the men while not wearing many clothes.
• Man Gets Arrested, Tries to Gnaw Off His Fingerprints: People have gone to some crazy lengths to try to hide their identity from police (Exhibit A: this guy). And then there's Kenzo Roberts. Lee County Sheriff's detectives pulled over the Florida man July 30 as he was driving a 2015 Mercedes that was listed as stolen. He was put in a patrol car, and then something gruesome happened.

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