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The Club Where Plaxico Burress Shot Himself

December 2, 2008 at 2:20 PM | 0 Comments


New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress managed to shoot himself in the right leg with a .40-caliber Glock pistol early Saturday morning in what's now exploding into a case about much more than a bumbling football hero packing heat.

The self-inflicted shooting happened at Latin Quarter, a club inside the Radisson Lexington Hotel in Midtown. Hilariously--for anyone not recently shot anyway--the hotel's website says of the club:

Shake a leg, enjoy Chefs Ralph Mercado, Marty Arret and Alex Garcia's "LatAsian" creations at our nightclub, the Latin Quarter.

Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who's made gun control a major issue of his administration, is pushing hard to get Plax thrown in "the slammer" for violating New York's strict gun laws, which mandate a minimum of 3.5 years for illegal handgun possession. Burress' lawyer says the wideout plans to plead not guilty to both weapons charges he's facing. No matter how a trial may play out, after the incident on 48th Street, Plax will always be remembered as the guy who went to a club at least 34 blocks north of anywhere decent.

Related Stories:
· Latin Quarter [Official Site]
· Burress Reports to Giants for Medical Treatment [NYT]
· Where Is... coverage [Jaunted]

Lusty British Couple Freed By Dubai Court of Appeals

November 25, 2008 at 11:09 AM | 0 Comments

The British couple nabbed on a Dubai beach this summer and convicted of public indecency, drunkenness and having sex outside of marriage won't face prison after winning their case in the emirate's Court of Appeals. The pair, Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors, are still convicts, but instead of spending three months in the clink, they'll simply be deported after paying a 1,000 dirham ($272) fine each.

The duo still insists they didn't actually have sex on the beach, though they do cop to being drunk and making out. (These are admittedly common side effects of an all-you-can-drink champagne brunch.)

While the Britons are thrilled with the decision, it's hardly a green light to disrespect the strict laws of the Muslim emirate, where almost any form of PDA can get you arrested. Besides, risking jail time isn't the only reason we're avoiding Dubai's beaches.

Related Stories:
· Dubai Beach Sex Woman Says Release "Proves Innocence" [Telegraph]
· In Dubai, Sex on the Beach Could Lead to Prison [Jaunted]

Bachelor Winner Mary Delgado Arrested At Texas Bar

November 18, 2008 at 9:45 AM | 0 Comments

Former NFL cheerleader and fiancee of bass-fishing "Bachelor" Byron Velvick got picked up by cops Saturday night after she refused to leave Lorina's Cantina in Del Rio, Texas, citing her "constitutional right" to stay and keep partying. Not content to just ride down to the sheriff's office, Mary Delgado also made a scene inside a squad car, acting, cops said, "loud and belligerent."

It's the second time in as many years that Delgado's been arrested; last November cops hauled her in after she allegedly punched Velvick. Still, he went down to the Val Verde County Correctional Facility this weekend to spring her free.

Check out the exact location of Lorina's--but try not to get thrown out--on our new Mary Delgado Map.

Related Stories:
· Bachelor Gal Fought Squad Car, Lost [TMZ]
· Bachelor Winner Arrested [AP, via Newsday]
· Crime coverage [Jaunted]

Miami Celebrating A Murder-Free October

November 3, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 0 Comments

Maybe the killers had to flee town after defaulting on their condo mortgages? Miami is celebrating more than a month without a murder.

One homicide investigator was thrilled to mark the milestone:

It's a great record when people are not killing each other.

Which isn't to say some folks aren't trying to cause trouble: Some acts of violence haven't upped Miami's body count because of terrific work from local doctors. And that's after the city lost surgeons Sean McNamara and Christian Troy!

Related Stories:
· Miami Goes a Month Without a Murder [Miami Herald]
· Crime coverage [Jaunted]

EU May Oust Bulgaria and Romania

October 28, 2008 at 11:00 AM | 2 Comments

EU residents: Get thee to Bulgaria and Romania quickly--before the union boots the new members out. Since their acceptance last year, neither country has managed to stamp out corruption and fraud to an acceptable degree, a commission found, and now Bulgaria is on the brink of losing a good chunk of funding because of it.

It came to light earlier this year that millions in EU aid had poured into the pockets of high-ranking thieves. The funding was frozen, and a deadline for Bulgaria to fix the problems causing the corruption expires this month.

Experts say that if the trend continues, there's no way the Union will continue to keep the countries inside the circle. Originally, it was thought Bulgaria and Romania's membership would represent the emergence of former Soviet Bloc countries into the Western sphere. Instead, it's come to show the trouble transforming Communist strongholds into functioning democracies.

So unless you're a thick-neck former body builder with a defective conscience or a travel writer, these two countries might not be the vacation destination for you.

Related Stories:
· Bulgaria Risks Becoming EU Cautionary Tale [IHT]
· Sofia Soft Porn [Jaunted]

[Photo: mbell1975]

Just How Dangerous Is Mexico?

October 18, 2008 at 11:15 AM | 1 Comment

When Robert Rodriguez released "Desperado" in 1995, he couldn't have known that a decade later Mexico would be locked in a horrifying drug war responsible for thousands of corpses. But that's the case, at least according to the US State Department which recently released an update to its travel alert for the country:

Some recent Mexican army and police confrontations with drug cartels have taken on the characteristics of small-unit combat, with cartels employing automatic weapons and, on occasion, grenades. Firefights have taken place in many towns and cities across Mexico but particularly in northern Mexico, including Tijuana, Chihuahua City and Ciudad Juarez.

A number of areas along the border are experiencing rapid growth in the rates of many types of crime. More than 1,600 cars were reportedly stolen in Ciudad Juarez in the month of July 2008, and bank robberies there are up dramatically. Rates for robberies, homicides, petty thefts and carjackings have all increased over the last year across Mexico generally, with notable spikes in Tijuana and northern Baja California.

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Hermes Heir Arrested in Pun-Tastic Air Rage Incident

October 16, 2008 at 3:30 PM | 2 Comments

Fashion heir Mathias Guerrand-Hermès got out of hand on a recent Air France flight, when law enforcement officials say he started harassing other passengers after gulping down some Propofan and "quite a bit of alcohol."

When the crew couldn't calm the polo-playing purse prince down, the captain intervened. But Guerrand-Hermès managed to menacingly grab the pilot's crotch before being handcuffed, shackled and tied to his seat.

Despite trying, he didn't manage to punch anyone. He's facing a charge of interfering with a flight crew, which could earn him as many as six months in prison if his rap sheet is clean.

Related Stories:
· Hermès Heir Is Charged with Assaulting a Jetliner Pilot [NYT]
· Feds Bag Hermès [TSG]
· Bad Seatmates coverage [Jaunted]

Casinos Coming to Singapore; Too Late for Senegal's Diplomats

October 16, 2008 at 9:30 AM | 0 Comments

We're not surprised to learn that in Singapore--the country that totally banned chewing gum until 2004--it's not that easy to find a place to gamble. It's not illegal, but there aren't any casinos, so that makes it tricky, although come 2009 they're planning to open their first.

Until then, you have to find your own way to have some blackjack fun, but the way of the Senegalese Consulate is not the one we recommend. This week the ex-honorary consul of Senegal was jailed for two months for allowing his office in Singapore to be used as a gambling den.

Big money was changing hands at the consulate casino and perhaps it's a good thing that Singapore will get a real casino soon; we figure the cocktails available from the Senegalese Consulate probably weren't up to par.

The first of two recently-licensed casinos will open next year and the other in 2010. Lucky for the consul, he'll definitely be out of jail by then.

Related Stories:
· Ex-Senegal Consul Jailed, Fined [Straits Times]
· Singapore Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of coming casino site: Singapor3]

Terrifying Travel: Bus Beheading Trial Moving Forward

October 7, 2008 at 3:05 PM | 1 Comment

Remember earlier this summer when horrified bus passengers in Canada watched as a guy allegedly stabbed and decapitated his 22-year-old seatmate? Well, a Manitoba court determined that the suspect in the case, Vince Weiguang Li, is mentally fit to stand trail.

While Li, who's been charged with second-degree murder, will see his case return to court on November 6, a defense attorney says there's more to it than just this psychiatric assessment:

I agree that he is fit to stand trial, but the issue is whether he is criminally responsible for his actions. My position would be in court that he's not criminally responsible for his actions and he did not know what he was doing was wrong.

It will be for a court to determine whether that's correct or not.

Related Stories:
· Canada Bus Beheading Suspect Can Stand Trial [AP, via Google]
· Staycation Travel: The Ultimate Bus Horror Story [Jaunted]

[Photo: Stephen Rees]

Crime Travel: Give This Mexico Clothing Boutique a Shot

October 6, 2008 at 10:00 AM | 0 Comments

Mexico City likes to break records. The world's largest city is also one of Mexico's wealthiest and one of its most dangerous. After a dip in crime in the early 2000s, misdeeds are back en vogue. Now, the market is responding, with a bulletproof clothing boutique cropping up in Polanco, the Rodeo Drive of the DF.

The store, called Miguel Caballero, takes its name from its Colombian owner. Bulletproof items there range from leather jackets to polo shirts, parkas and white ruffled tuxedo shirts. But before you apply for a sales position, be forewarned:

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Tijuana Tourism Struggles as Violence Intensifies

October 5, 2008 at 2:12 PM | 0 Comments

There was a time not long ago when a visit to Tijuana was a rite of passage for Southern California youngsters, who'd flock to "TJ" for cheap tequila and an anything-goes attitude that made for so many great stories back home. Unfortunately for Tijuana's tourism industry, however, more and more prospective visitors are choosing different destinations these days, put off by reports of an explosion of murders and kidnappings in the once charmingly-seedy border town. Just over the past week, nearly fifty people were murdered in a spate of drug-related violence, and the grisly nature of the killings - including decapitation and the removal of tongues - suggests that further retaliations are all but assured.

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Drug War Travel: Enjoy the Beach while Ducking RPGs in Mexico

September 30, 2008 at 2:31 PM | 1 Comment

The government of Mexico hopes to create yet another heavily developed strip of sand for tourists interested in golf courses, hotels and condos, and President Felipe Calderon has gone so far to say it'll be the country's most important tourism project in a quarter century. But there's one catch: It'll be in Sinaloa, the notorious home to the Mexican drug traffickers known as the Pacific Cartel.

True, the beach-town-turned-resort of Mazatlán is in Sinaloa, and it's established itself as a (relatively for Mexico) off-the-radar place to be. But while there haven't been any grenade attacks there, it has seen some gunplay.

We've already told you about the military-grade weaponry being used by gangs and the shrines to traffickers in Sinaloa's capital of Culiacán. How likely it is that tourists will be lining up to fly down to check out the beach in the middle of a drug-fueled war?

Related Stories:
· US State Department Travel Alert for Mexico [Official Site]
· Mexico Announces New Tourist Resort [AP, via]
· Drug Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo Google Maps]