Nudist Cart Crash, Matchmaker Mom, Honey Not Meth: Weird MD News

MARYLAND — Across Maryland, emergency workers responded to routine calls such as car accidents, fires, thefts, robberies, and other incidents in 2019. But some of the calls that came in were a bit, well, odd, such as a matchmaker mom, a stolen pot business icon, and honey mistaken for meth. Below is a round-up of some of the weird news that just might make you shake your head in disbelief.

Unicorn Robs High's, Two Men Charged: Two men have been charged in the armed robbery of a High's store on Long Green Pike. Police said one was wearing a unicorn costume at the time of the holdup. The costume was recovered by the side of the road after the suspects made their getaway, which ended in a serious crash that sent both the unicorn and his driver to the hospital, authorities reported. The person who called for help described the suspect as someone dressed in a unicorn costume who was armed with a crowbar, police said.

Beltway Driver Nearly Impaled By Metal Stake From Roadway Debris: A woman was treated at a local trauma center after nearly being impaled by road debris on the Capital Beltway, authorities said. The incident happened on the Beltway's outer loop, near Rockville Pike. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer said a metal stake flew through the windshield of her minivan; it took crews more than 15 minutes to extricate her from the vehicle.

Mom: Please Date My Son; Police: Let Him Find His Own Date: This may be every son's ghastliest nightmare: A woman in her mid-50s pestered female students at Towson University and asked them if they'd like to date her son. While she was not accused of criminal wrongdoing, university police told her to stop playing Cupid. She was persistent enough that some of the students filed reports with the university's police department. According to reports, she showed the women a cellphone picture of her son and then asked if they were interested in becoming his companion. The mom's tenacity in finding a date for her son prompted Towson University Police Chief Charles Herring to email a campuswide advisory.

Riva Man Convicted For Tackling Pelican In Viral Video: A Maryland man blasted on social media after publishing a video on Facebook that showed him tackling a federally protected pelican in the Florida Keys was charged with animal cruelty and later convicted. Maryland State Police say William Hunter Hardesty, 31, of Riva, led authorities to him by reportedly bragging about how he lured the pelican to him and then jumped on the bird. He was at a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, talking about his infamous video, when someone who heard his story called authorities. Hardesty posted the apparent fowl attack video to his Facebook account. While onlookers laughed, a bystander said: "Excuse me. If you don't get out of there right now, I'm going to call security." The pelican then bit Hardesty before escaping from his clutches.

Ax Wielding Naked Man Damages Annapolis Home: Police say a 32-year-old Annapolis man was found naked and armed with an ax and hammer, destroying property in a home that wasn't his, the day before Thanksgiving. Annapolis police officers responded to a call for a report of a "naked man" in the 1400 block of Jousting Court. When officers arrived, the man took off and ran into a nearby home, arming himself with the ax and hammer. Officers eventually persuaded Tramar Galloway to leave the home, which wasn't his, and he was charged with fourth-degree burglary.

Man On Fire Dies, Came From Portable Toilet Near M&T Bank Stadium: A burning man came out of a portable toilet near M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon and died, firefighters said. It happened in the 1100 block of Russell Street, Baltimore Fire tweeted. The man died at the scene and three portable toilets were engulfed in flames. Photos at the scene showed charred debris across the street from the stadium, which is the home of the Baltimore Ravens.

Crab Costume Stolen From Annapolis Business: Someone made off with a 4-foot crab costume, known as Buddy C. Weed, the mascot of Crabcakes & Cannabis, the night before Halloween in Annapolis. Police tweeted that the costume was returned and the owner did not wish to pursue criminal theft charges. The business had some fun with Buddy's exploits, posting online that several suspects had been identified and "we sincerely hope that Buddy is not sleeping with the fishes and believe that the perpetrators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the claw."

Squeegee Kids Attack Couple In Baltimore: A husband and wife said they were attacked by a group of Baltimore's so-called "squeegee kids," and they urged the mayor to take care of a problem they said has spiraled out of control. "You shouldn't have to drive through a city you love and care about and be scared," said one of the victims, Courtney Coles.

Naked Attacker's Pasadena Slashing Linked To Opiate Use: A Pasadena man was sentenced to 26 years in prison for breaking into a home in the community and badly slashing a man and his girlfriend with a butcher knife as the man's teenage daughter watched. Police said the attacker, who was high on Oxycodone laced with fentanyl, had broken into the home, crouched naked on the stairs, then attacked the couple with a butcher's knife taken from the kitchen.

Geese Terrorize Pedestrians, Injures One At County Bus Lot: At least one person was injured after a gaggle of wild geese launched an attack on innocent pedestrians at the Shady Grove County bus lot in Derwood, authorities said.

Annapolis Officer Shoots Opossum That Was On Fire: An opossum that was on fire and running through a residential area had to be euthanized by an Annapolis police officer. The officer spied people chasing the opossum in an attempt to help the animal, which was "badly burned and suffering." Even though the opossum darted under the back deck of a home and managed to extinguish the flames it was in severe pain, so the officer withdrew his firearm and shot and killed the animal. According to the Annapolis Police Department, no one knew how the animal ended up on fire.

Bowie Man Spends Months In Prison Over Jars Of Honey: A Bowie man spent months behind bars because authorities mistakenly thought the honey he brought back from Jamaica was actually meth, according to a report. Leon Houghton had returned home via BWI Airport, where customs officials said the jars tested positive for meth, and sent the honey to a lab in Georgia for confirmation. Houghton couldn't get a bond and languished in jail, losing his job in the process, according to reports. Once lab tests showed that it was indeed honey in those jars, authorities dropped the charges, but the damage had been done. He returned home to no job, mounting bills, and a wrecked credit score.

ATV Riders Confront Cops In National Harbor: One man was arrested after a heated confrontation between a group of ATV riders and police officers in National Harbor, police say. Patrol officers saw a group of 10 to 15 ATVs and dirt bikes in the area of 100 Monument Avenue, according to the Prince George's County Police Department. "The riders passed the officers, revving their engines, popping wheelies and driving recklessly through traffic," the report said. "Patrol officers followed behind the ATVs and dirt bikes with their emergency lights activated in an effort to record the riders' traffic violations."

Evacuation At UMD Campus After Lab Experiment Goes Wrong: Police evacuated people from the University of Maryland's Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building after a lab accident went wrong. UMD Police tweeted that during a lab experiment at the building a chemical reaction caught on fire. Authorities shut down the building and roads in the area for hours.

Ex-Doctor Gets Prison For Posing As Dead Mom To Collect Benefits: A former physician from Silver Spring will spend two years in prison after fraudulently collecting more than half a million dollars of her deceased mother's pension and retirement benefits. Crystal Mebane McGinty — who spent 13 years cashing her late mother's Social Security and City of New York teachers' retirement checks — was also ordered to forfeit and pay $517,000 in restitution. The 59-year-old woman pleaded guilty to mail fraud and theft of government property, court documents said.

Rocket Launcher Discovered At BWI: A rocket launch tube was found in the American Airlines baggage area at Baltimore Washington International Airport on Aug. 1. Investigators with the state fire marshal's bomb squad were called to assess the rocket launcher, which had no explosives inside. The traveler who packed it was an Air Force sergeant, bringing the rocket launcher back to the United States aboard a military flight, according to the fire marshal.

Man At Nudist Camp Injured After Crashing Golf Cart: A man at a clothing-optional campground in Davidsonville crashed a golf cart, suffering serious injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for treatment. Anne Arundel County firefighters responded to the incident at the campground, which claims to be the oldest nonprofit clothing-optional health resort and campground in the country. The Baltimore Sun reported the man was not wearing a helmet and he struck a tree with the golf cart, which overturned. The man managed to drive to a building at the campground and call for help.