Crime & Safety

NorCal Odd Crime News: Not the Brightest Burglar, the ‘Cotton Ball Bandit’s’ Genius Disguise

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Jennifer Squires, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Written by Alex Gronke

When burglars arrest themselves

It’s burglar school 101. Do not walk near the police station just three days after a surveillance cam caught you breaking into the front door of a house in broad daylight. And, if for some reason you must walk near a police station three days after you’ve been recorded committing a felony, don’t wear the same clothes you were wearing in the video.


Being creepy is not always crime

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A video posted online by a Pacifica man who wore a ski mask and filmed a woman hiking alone on Montara Mountain has spawned hundreds of comments and even tribute videos supporting the videographer who calls himself "Gortevans."


Teachers, drugs and money

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A high school English teacher from Roseville was jailed after allegedly buying prescription pills with the help of her student. The teacher is on administrative leave.


Cotton Ball Bandit strikes again (this time without the pom-pom)

Police believe that a serial bank robber in Marin has just hit his eighth score. The Westamerica Bank in San Anselmo’s Red Hill Shopping Center on Thursday became the latest target of the so-called "Cotton Ball Bandit.” This time the robber wore a baseball cap instead of the distinctive knit cap topped with a pom-pom that gave him his name. 

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