Scotland Yard Captures The "Facebook Fugitive"

It couldn't last forever, could it? The "Facebook Fugitive," or Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, who has been taunting police via Facebook since his escape from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England a few months ago, has been captured.

It was reported by Scotland Yard that they arrested Lynch in southern England on Tuesday night. They only confirmed that he had been arrested and gave few details.

Lynch had drawn a huge audience to his Facebook page, with tens of thousands of fans. However, his first page was shut down, and it appears a second one has been shut down as well. Some were actually cheering him on, but others were hoping for a capture.

In reality, it's amazing it took so long. Authorities should have been able to close in on him based on his IP address.

Lynch's new charge is apparently escaping from custody. He is due to appear in court later Wednesday.

Police Arrest Iraqi-American Father Who Ran Over Westernized Daughter

Georgia police have arrested Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, who is suspected of running down his daughter because she was becoming too "Westernized" and was not living according to their traditional Iraqi values. The incident actually occurred in Arizona on Oct. 20, and Almaleki had been on the run.

The father was upset that his daughter, Noor Faleh Almaleki, 20, of Surprise, AZ, had become too "Westernized" and he aimed his car at her Oct. 20 in a Peoria, AZ parking lot. Noor Faleh Almaleki is currently hospitalized with serious injuries.

A second woman, 43-year-old Amal Edan Khalaf, also of Surprise, suffered non-life threatening injuries. Police say the women are roommates; additional information indicates that Khalaf is the mother of Almaleki's boyfriend.

Faleh Hassan Almaleki was arrested at the Atlanta airport when he arrived on a flight. It's unclear where he is currently being held.

"Balloon Boy" Incident a Hoax: Sheriff

The Larimer County Sheriff has declared the "Balloon Boy" incident a hoax, that was designed in the hope of marketing the Heene Family for a reality television show sometime in the future. Charges have not yet been filed, but most likely will be.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said that among the charges being considered for Richard Heene and his wife Mayumi are three felonies: conspiracy between the husband and the wife to commit a crime, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and an attempt to influence a public servant, the last of which carries a prison term of six years. They could also add filing a false report to the charges, which is a misdemeanor.

The nation stood transfixed on Thursday while authorities and media chased a flying saucer-shaped helium-filled balloon 50 miles from the Heenes' home to a soft landing. It was believed that six-year-old Falcon Heene was on the craft, but in reality he was not, and was later found hiding in a box in the attic of the family's garage.

After elation over the boy being safe died down, thoughts turned to a hoax. The Heene's case was not helped when, appearing on CNN, Falcon said the reason he did not respond to calls out to him, he said "You had said that we did this for the show," that's pretty telling. In fact, watch the video below, and see the evidence.

Additionally, more suspicions were raised when it became known the family had appeared twice on the ABC show "Wife Swap," and had pitched reality TV show ideas to TLC and the "Wife Swap" creators.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said at a news conference in Fort Collins, CO:

“It has been determined that this is a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt. We have evidence to indicate it was a publicity stunt done with the hope of marketing themselves to a realty television show sometime in the future.”

Authorities re-interviewed the family yesterday, as well as conduction searches of their computers, e-mail records and documents in their home. Alderden said the plan to launch a balloon and tell authorities that Falcon was aboard was made as long as two weeks ago.

Alderden added that child protective services would be reviewing the case and determining whether the Heene children are in any danger. Reportedly, all three children knew of the Thursday hoax.

Richard Heene added to the strangeness yesterday when, saying the family did not have cable to see what was being said about his family, he placed a box out in front of the house, telling reporters to place their questions in it.

Wisconsin Mother Attempts Stripping to Avoid Arrest

A Wisconsin mother accused of shoplifting decided that by stripping, she could avoid arrest. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

Julia Laack, 36, of Sheboygan, not only shoplifted and then stripped as officers attempted to arrest her, her final tally of charges on Friday included felony battery of a police officer, resisting arrest, shoplifting and two counts of disorderly conduct.

It all started when Laack allegedly shoplifted a lighter and a bag of beef jerky at a convenience store Thursday afternoon. When Police went to her home, the police repor states that Laack refused to come to the door and began swearing at three children in her house, telling one that the incident was all his fault.

When police entered, Laack apparently stripped, in full view of the children, telling officers that they couldn't arrest her because she would be naked. One might wonder if Laack was a tad intoxicated, which in fact she was. Her BAC was .112; Wisconsin's legal limit is .08.

According to the complaint, despite her lack of clothing, Laack struggled with the officers as they tried to arrest her, spitting in one's mouth while kicking another in the groin. She also mooned the officers once she was placed in a squad car.

Hilariously, the theft itself would have just amounted to a ticket. The new charges could cost Laack six years in prison.

Watch a video report on the event:

Arrest in Erin Andrews Peephole Video Case

There's been a breakthrough in the Erin Andrews peephole video case. Authorities have arrested Michael David Barrett, 48, Friday night as he arrived on a flight from Buffalo, N.Y. at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, the FBI said in a statement.

Michael David Barrett faces federal charges of interstate stalking for recording the Erin Andrews peephole video, which appears to have been taken at more than one location. Additionally, he is charged trying to sell them to celebrity Web site TMZ and actually posting the videos online.

You'll recall that a video of ESPN's admittedly hot sideline reporter, Erin Andrews, taken via a peephole, was released to the web in February, though it didn't come to the public's attention until July. Ironically, the publicity over the video really hit when ESPN issued a takedown notice for the video.

The FBI stated that while they were unable to identify the eighth location where the Erin Andrews peephole videos were taken, seven of the eight videos posted online were taken through a modified door peephole while the 31-year-old Andrews was alone and disrobed in hotel rooms in Nashville, TN, in September of 2008. They believe David Michael Barrett called hotels until he discovered where Andrews was staying and then requested a hotel next to hers.

I have to ask why did this not raise a red flag with any hotel employees? And why would anyone at said hotels simply say, OK, we'll give you the room next to hers?

David Michael Barrett allegedly tried to sell the Erin Andrews peephole videos to TMZ, but an employee there informed Andrews' attorneys, according to the FBI. Showing Barrett wasn't too bright, in terms of cybercrime, or he would have expected if he used his own computer they might be able to track the IP address and email address back to him, which in fact they did.

The FBI also confirmed that the Erin Andrews peephole videos were likely recorded from a cell phone camera. That certainly explains the graininess of the videos, which in reality were barely worth watching (indeed, I saw them).

David Michael Barrett faces up to five years in federal prison if convicted. That seems rather light, but reports are that Erin Andrews will seek civil charges in the peephole video case, against both Barrett and those who published the videos.

In a press release, Erin Andrews said the following:

"I am deeply grateful to Assistant United States Attorney Wes Hsu and Special Agents for their dedicated service; and to ESPN for its support during this difficult time. I hope that today's action will help the countless others who have been similarly victimized. For my part, I will make every effort to strengthen the laws on a State and Federal level to better protect victims of criminal stalking. I am also grateful to those who have expressed their concerns and good wishes for my family and me."

Roman Polanski Arrested, to Be Extradited to the U.S.

Samantha Geimer pictured in 1977 on the left, and now on the right

Roman Polanski, set to receive an award at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday, has instead been arrested, and extradition proceedings are underway. The arrest stems from the well-known and three decades-old charges against Polanski for sex with a minor.

Polanski was arrested in the late 1970s and charged with giving drugs and alcohol to a 13-year-old girl, Samantha Geimer, and having unlawful sex with her at Jack Nicholson’s Hollywood home. He maintained that the girl was sexually experienced and had consented.

Samantha Geimer (pictured above) has previously (and repeatedly) asked that all charges be dropped against Roman Polanski, stating that the continued publicity over the decades-old event "causes harm to me, my husband and children".

Two months ago Roman Polanski asked a California appeals court to overturn a judge's refusal to consider his request to throw out the 1977 case in which he pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Judge Peter Espinoza agreed there was misconduct by the original judge in the case, but said Polanski must return to the US to apply for dismissal.

The 2008 film, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, notes the judicial misconduct, purporting to show "a judge more interested in his image than his word or the law."

Roman Polanski now lives permanently in Paris, and is considered by some an international fugitive. It should be noted that the age of consent in Europe ranges from 13 - 17 (Spain is the lowest with 13). His Academy Award for best director, won for the 2002 film "The Pianist" was accepted by Harrison Ford, who had previously starred in Polanski's 1988 thriller, "Frantic."

Frederic Mitterrand, France's culture minister said he “strongly regrets that a new ordeal is being inflicted on someone who has already experienced so many of them." He is, fo course, speaking of the murder of his pregnant wife, Sharon Tate, who was murdered by the Manson Family, but also of the treatment of Polanski's family during the Holocaust during WWII.