Good Intentions
Steven Pavlik, 63, of Stuart, Florida, is facing charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest after his stint as a Salvation Army bell-ringer went very much awry on Dec. 23, WFLA reported. Pavlik was stationed in front of a Publix grocery store on Kanner Highway before “Drunk ringing, belligerent tidings, and assault took him from bell duty to booking blotter after a full blown charity tirade,” the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post recounting the incident. Having become intoxicated during the course of his charitable work, Pavlik began confronting passersby, who informed the Publix store manager; when the manager came outside to discuss the complaints with the inebriated volunteer, Pavlik attempted to impale the manager with the donation kettle tripod, then fled. The manager was uninjured, and Pavlik was arrested at his home. [WFLA, 12/26/2025]
Dude, Where’s My Seafood?
The FBI is on the case of a $400,000 shipment of lobsters that has gone missing, Boston.com reported on Dec. 30. The truck and its valuable cargo disappeared somewhere between its departure point at a warehouse in Taunton, Massachusetts, and its destinations at Costco stores in Illinois and Minnesota. “It followed a pattern we’re seeing more and more,” said Dylan Rexing, president and CEO of Rexing Companies, “where criminals impersonate legitimate carriers using spoofed emails and burner phones to hijack high-value freight while it’s in transit.” U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement estimates that the U.S. economy loses $15-$35 billion annually to cargo theft, with high-value items like pharmaceuticals, electronics and alcohol among the most frequent targets. [Boston.com, 12/30/2025]
Bad Idea
A 38-year-old man was arrested on Dec. 20 in Auckland, New Zealand, for checking all of the wrong boxes, 1News TVNZ reported. Using flashing lights on the roof of his station wagon to pull over other motorists? Check. Attempting to pull over an unmarked police car? Check. Fleeing the scene upon realizing his huge mistake? Check. And finally, failing a breath test once the police caught up with him? Check. The impaired impersonator’s breath analysis registered at twice the legal limit, adding a charge of excess breath alcohol to the already serious charge of impersonating a police officer. “It’s bad enough that this person thought it was okay to impersonate a police car,” Inspector Kerry Watson said. “It’s even worse to see impaired and dangerous driving.” [1News TVNZ, 12/21/2025]
The Litigious Society
In the new year’s oddest legal twist, the National Rifle Association is suing the NRA Foundation, its own charitable arm, for trademark infringement and unfair competition. NBC News reported that on Jan. 5, the NRA alleged that the foundation passed “itself off to donors and the public as the NRA or an authorized NRA affiliate” and “misappropriat[ed] the many millions of dollars that NRA supporters contributed.” The lawsuit reveals ongoing internal turmoil within the NRA and its foundation. [NBC News, 1/5/2026]
Compelling Explanation
A Marion, Louisiana, resident called police in November to report a trespassing incident on her property, WKRC-TV reported on Jan. 8. When deputies arrived at the home, Elizabeth Sutton, 41, was swimming nude in the resident’s pond. At first, Sutton refused to exit the pond, telling officers she was “trying to be a mermaid.” When she finally complied, medics evaluated her (because of the cold weather) and tried to lead her indoors. At that point, Sutton charged at a deputy, causing them to use their Taser. She kicked and punched the deputy before being subdued and taken to a hospital. A warrant was issued for her arrest, and on Jan. 6, she surrendered and was charged with several crimes. [WKRC, 1/8/2026]
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