Pop America

Boys Torch Cockroaches; Burn Down Grandparents' Home

POMPANO BEACH, FL (POP America)  --  Officials believe two little boys who thought it was fun to set cockroaches on fire are to blame for burning down their grandparents' home.  Fire investigators say the eight and ten-year-old boys were sleeping over at the house in Pompano Beach when they used rubbing alcohol and a lighter to ignite several cockroaches they found in their bedroom.  A spark apparently flew onto the bed and within minutes, flames had engulfed the room.  Everyone got out okay, but the house was a total loss.  Officials say it's one of the most bizarre house fires they've ever seen.  The Red Cross has placed the family at a hotel while the boys will have to attend a fire-starter prevention and education program.

 

Woman Looking For Painkiller Fix Tries To Rob Pharmacy With Mace

MIAMI (POP America)  --  Police say a woman who pulled up at a 24-hour Miami pharmacy was looking to do more than just fill a prescription.  When the metal tray popped out, the middle-aged woman placed a white bag inside and barked at the pharmacist, "I have a bomb, a gun and Mace.  I want (painkillers) and all the controls in the safe cabinet."  Investigators say the pharmacist only saw what looked like a can of Mace and walked up to the front of the store to call police.  When he returned to the window, the woman had disappeared and so had the bag.  Moments later, the pharmacy's phone rang.  On the other end was a crying woman who said she was sorry for trying to rob the place and claimed her boyfriend made her do it.  She even provided a name and a phone number where her boyfriend could be reached.  But when police called the number, it had been disconnected.  Authorities are still searching for the woman. 

Temple Auctioning Off Seats On eBay For $1.8 Million

MIAMI (POP America)  --  Some of the priciest real estate in South Beach is nowhere near the water.  It's actually inside a synagogue.  For a mere one-point-eight-million-dollars, two frontrow seats at Temple Emanu-El are going to a lucky bidder on eBay.  The auction was the idea of temple leaders who say they're trying to re-energize attendance at the 60-year-old synagogue on Washington Avenue by attracting younger people.  According to temple president Jerry Jacobs, the winner of the plush, red velvet seats will get them for life and can pass them down from generation to generation.  Bidding ends Monday morning.  One of the holiest events on the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashana, begins Wednesday at sundown.

Conservative Christian Leader Dead At 76

FT. LAUDERDALE (POP America)  --  One of the most recognized televangelists in the country has died.  Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church founder the Reverend D. James Kennedy passed away in his sleep at home early this morning.  He was 76.  Just last month, Kennedy stepped down as pastor of the 10-thousand member church he founded nearly 50 years ago in Fort Lauderdale.  He hadn't delivered a sermon at the church since suffering arrhythmia and cardiac arrest on December 28th.  He never fully recovered, despite a rigorous regimen of physical therapy in Florida and Michigan.  During his time at Coral Ridge, Kennedy built a multi-million-dollar media empire with a television show that was viewed by more than three-million people around the world.  He was also known for his conservative politics and his outspoken opposition to abortion and homosexuality.  Funeral arrangements for Dr. Kennedy are pending.

 

Man Hits Baby With Beer Bottle After Hair Dispute

HOMESTEAD (POP America)   --  A Florida man is facing charges after police say he hit a six-week-old child over the head with a beer bottle.  Investigators believe the incident happened after Carlos Manuel Fuentes became upset with his wife because she cut her hair without his permission.  When officers arrived, they found broken glass from the beer bottle inside the child's room.  According to a police report, Fuentes was "severely drunk" and his breath and body reeked of alcohol.  The child suffered a cut to the top of the head and was taken to the hospital.  Fuentes is charged with aggravated child abuse and is being held at Miami-Dade County Jail without bond.

Kid Spreads Panic On Cruise Ship For Wearing Grenade Belt

MIAMI (POP America)  --  Passengers onboard a cruise ship docked at the Port of Miami were placed on lockdown yesterday after a bomb scare was reported by federal officials.  Screeners with the Transportation Security Administration spotted what they thought was a grenade in the luggage of a passenger on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas.  The ship had just docked at the port after an eastern Caribbean cruise.  Officials quickly evacuated Terminal G of the port and passengers on the ship were not allowed to disembark as members of the bomb squad were called in to dispose of the device.  The all-clear was given when authorities determined the so-called "explosive" was actually a child's belt buckle shaped like a grenade.  Passengers were allowed to leave the ship a short time later.

Lock Of Hair From Che Guevara To Be Auctioned Off

MIAMI (POP America)  --  A lock of hair belonging to Che Guevara will be on the block next month as part of an auction featuring items from the late Cuban revolutionary.  Gustavo Villoldo, a Miami exile who led the mission to capture Che in the jungles of Bolivia 40 years ago, claims to have a number of items that once belonged to Fidel Castro's right-hand man.  Besides a strand of hair snipped minutes before the rebel leader was buried, Villoldo also says he has a set of Che's fingerprints taken just before burial and photographs of a dead, shirtless Che on display in a laundry room sink in Bolivia.  The items will be auctioned off October 25th and 26th in Dallas.  Villoldo is hoping the items will attract bids in excess of six figures. 

Three Arrested After Stealing Parts From Public Toilets

HOLLYWOOD, FL (POP America)  --  The toilets are flushing again at a number of parks in Hollywood and Cooper City.  Police have busted a three-member gang they say is responsible for stealing high-priced flush valves from several toilets in the area.  The trio was arrested Wednesday after a ranger at John U. Lloyd State Park in Hollywood noticed them coming out of a public restroom. The thefts had caused a major stink in Broward County since taxpayers were having to foot the bill for the missing parts and because, without the valves, the toilets wouldn't flush.

57-Year-Old Man Slugs Ref At Senior Citizens' Soccer Game

KENDALL, FL (POP America)  --  A 57-year-old soccer player could have to serve jail time after punching a referee in the jaw.  Police say Amador Yenkenes was taking part in a soccer match for players 55 and over last weekend in Kendall when he became upset with one of the referee's calls.  He then booted the soccer ball in anger, instantly got a red card and was ejected from the game.  But it's the swipe Yenkenes took at the referee that could land him behind bars.  Officials say under a little-known law passed in 2004, Yenkenes faces the unusual charge of battery on a sports official.  That means the punch is a third-degree felony instead of a first-degree misdemeanor.  If convicted on the felony charge, Yenkenes faces up to three years in prison.  To add insult to injury, Yenkenes' team had to forfeit the match after the incident.

Coral Ridge Founder Retires Following December Heart Attack

FT. LAUDERDALE (POP America)  --  One of the nation's most famous televangelists has retired.  Nearly 50 years after founding Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, leaders announced Sunday Reverend D. James Kennedy would not return to the pulpit.  The 76-year-old Kennedy has been sidelined since suffering a heart attack in December.  Kennedy founded Coral Ridge in 1959 with just 45 followers.  Over the years, membership would grow into the thousands and the ministry would reach millions worldwide through television, radio and the Internet.  Kennedy is known as one of the most influential leaders in the Christian right and, at times, has been a divisive figure by condemning homosexuality and abortion.  Church leaders say it could take a couple of years to find a replacement pastor.