Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/751464
32 nDecember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS Bank-bungling biker If the reports can be believed, young Hunter Chafi n should most prob- ably not make anyone's short list as the head of your new crime syndicate. This 19-year-old from Arkansas was arrested in mid-October on suspicion of bank robbery after he was believed to have stolen $3,350 in cash from a bank in Eureka Springs. After the heist, Chafi n took a taxi to Bentonville, about 40 miles away. Turns out Bentonville was not his secret lair or even where his gun moll was lying in wait for his return to share the loot. No, in true cart-before-the-horse fashion, Hunter had traveled to Bentonville to purchase a motorcycle to use as his get- away vehicle—after he had gotten away. Upon arriving at the home of the seller, Chafi n met the bike's owner and the owner's dad, Corporal Steve Vera, who was there in uniform to help his son complete the transaction. A few minutes after the sale and the exchange of hot cash, Offi cer Vera received a call informing him that Chafi n was a suspect in a bank robbery. Vera quickly arrested him about four miles from his house (apparently he recognized the escape vehicle). Smile for the gas pump If you believe the U.S. government plays too large a role in mandating restrictive motorcycle laws, celebrate the fact you do not live in Kerala, a southern state in India. India has had a national helmet requirement for both riders and passengers since 1988 with implementation of the law left to the states on an individual basis. But with motorcycles comprising a pre- dominant number of vehicles used for common transport, enforcement has been hampered. So Kerala has taken a bold step in the corporation limits of Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Kozhikode—wear a helmet or get no gas. With all the oil companies involved agreeing to the proposal, closed-circuit televisions will be installed on the petrol pumps and linked to the local enforcement squad. You show up without a helmet and the powers that be will not activate the pump. Common objections cited for not using a helmet are their restriction of vision, being uncomfortably hot, and causing hair loss. While the simplest way to skirt the problem would be to carry a helmet on the bike and strap it on whenever you hit reserve, we can also envision crafty entrepreneurs right around the corner from the pumping station willing to "rent" you a helmet just long enough for a fi ll-up. Strange bikefellows It's been said that politics make strange bedfellows. Apparently it also makes for strange motorcycle larceny. At the end of October, a Rhode Island State Representative who recently lost his bid for reelection was criminally charged with attempting to steal the political signs of another candidate. The truly offensive part is he was rid- ing a motorcycle during the commis- sion of the crime. A witness identifi ed Brian Coogan as the person who drove a motorcy- cle up to a house in East Providence and directed his female passenger to remove the sign for city council can- didate Bruce Rogers from a fence. But during the excitement, Coogan dropped the bike and a different stolen sign fell off the motorcycle. The two managed to pick up the bike and then sped away without either sign since the one on the fence was securely attached. The witness identifi ed Coogan from a photo lineup at police headquarters. The former representative lives nearby, on the same street as where the offense occurred, and his house Typhoon trio When hurricanes make landfall, they have a way of putting life on hold. Power outages, limited commu- nication and restricted travel give peo- ple a lot of extra time. And "idle hands are the devil's workshop" never rang more true than recently when three South Carolina teens stirred up their own personal storm. That's when, under cover of pounding rains and loss of electricity, an ambitious theft ring used the oppor- tunity of Hurricane Matthew's impact to commit multiple motorcycle thefts. And despite their young ages (one 17 and two 18 year olds), they weren't content with one or even two bikes during their mission but absconded with 11 motorcycles and 15 ATVs and then attempted to hide them in a most haphazard fashion. The fi rst bike discovered by authorities in Orangeburg, South Carolina, was an ATV that had appar- ently been abandoned. While on the way to the dealership where the bike was stolen, two more ATVs were spotted. Later a vehicle was stopped leaving a frontage road adjacent to the shop with a stolen bike in the trunk. The investigation then led to a mobile home park where a stolen bike was parked outside and three more discov- ered inside the home. At the time of this report, two motorcycles and seven ATVs are still missing along with a trailer. Estimated cost of the stolen merchandise was $100K. That's some severe storm damage. is the same residence listed on cam- paign documents as the home address of Anna Sousa, Rogers' opponent in the council race. Police state that the female accomplice, who was wearing a helmet, had not been identifi ed. And while Coogan denied the alle- gations stating, "That's stuff that kids do," a 2016 Harley-Davidson is regis- tered in his name.