To Heaven on a Bike

David Morales Colon, 22, of Puerto Rico died violently; he was shot to death in Barrio Obrero on April 22, 2010. However it was not his death that made him famous, it was his wake.  When friends and relatives came to Marin Funeral Home to pay their respects to the recently deceased young man they were greeted by his embalmed body on top of his motorcycle as if he were riding it.

David was dressed in a black cap, black sunglasses, long-sleeved black T-shirt with dark jeans and sneakers.

According to a spokesperson for the funeral home, the family of David Colon came and asked them to perform funeral services with David mounted on his motorcycle bent over as if he were racing. 

"We are like any other normal funeral home but at the same time we please our clients," she said.

There was no information on whether David would be buried with his motorcycle or even if he would be buried in a coffin.

This was the same funeral home that two years ago held services for another young man who died tragically - 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina. As requested he was presented standing up wearing a cap, dark glasses, a long gold chain and flowers in his left hand.

Below is a video clip from the Spanish language television station WAPA.TV in Puerto Rico covering the David Morales Colon wake:

Follow me on Twitter

He Pingping - Dead at 21

According to the TV production company Europroduzione, He Pingping - known as the shortest man in the world - died Saturday March 13, 2010. He was in Italy filming a television program called The Record Show. He had already filmed two episodes of the program when he complained of feeling sick:

"He started to feel slightly ill and we decided to take him to hospital. He entered hospital two weeks ago and had all kinds of tests, being a very special person he had to go though all sorts of tests. He went into intensive care three days after he was admitted," said Marco Fernandez de Araoz, communications director for Europroduzione.

He said that Mr He died on Saturday afternoon and, at the request of his family, his body would be returned to China to be buried.

He Pingping was born in July 1988 in the city of Wulanchabu (also called Ulanqab) in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. From birth He suffered from a form of Primordial Dwarfism. He stood 5ft 2in tall and weighed only 16lbs. Read more about He Pingping here and check out some pics here.

In 2008 the Guinness World Records named He Pingping the world's shortest, non-disabled, man. Guinness World Records said he had made a "huge impact around the world".

"From the moment I laid on eyes on him I knew he was someone special - he had such a cheeky smile and mischievous personality, you couldn't help but be charmed by him. He brightened up the lives of everyone he met and was an inspiration to anyone considered different or unusual." said Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief.  "For such a small man, he made a huge impact around the world," he added. 

He Pingping's sister, He Lihua, said that the family had never anticipated such bad news, since He had no prior health issues. She also said that the entire Batou village, where He was born, was saddened to learn of his passing. She did however say that lately He had become homesick and used to call her frequently complaining that he wasn’t able to eat too well. In the clip below He is seen helping out at his sister's restaurant.

RIP - He Pingping

Follow me on Twitter

Horse Lover Sentenced

Erick Rivera, 18, of Goshen, NY known as "The Horse Romancer” was arrested in December 2009. At the time of his arrest he admitted to police that he repeatedly had sex with horses in their stables, located across the street from where he lived. But as he stood before Orange County Court Judge Robert Freehill there was no mention of either horses or sex. Instead, he pleaded guilty to third-degree burglary, a felony, and Freehill granted him youthful offender treatment, which seals the court record. He had originally been charged with a felony burglary count and two misdemeanors – sexual misconduct with an animal and petit larceny.

The case sparked outrage among animal lovers nationwide, who sent cut-and-paste e-mails urging that Freehill impose a harsh sentence. But the stiffest charge allowable in New York for sex with an animal is sexual misconduct, a misdemeanor. Prosecutors insisted he plead to the more serious burglary charge.

Rivera has been held in the county jail since his arrest. Judge Robert Freehill sentenced Rivera to 90 days in the county jail and five years’ probation for burglarizing the Goshen Historic Track last year. His lawyer, Gary Abramson of the Orange County Legal Aid Society, said Rivera will move to New York City to live with his sister when he’s released from jail. His probation will be supervised by New York City authorities.

Follow me on Twitter

He's Not Dead

Jozef Guzy, 76, had everyone fooled, even the doctor. He pulled off a trick that would have made Houdini proud of him. The Polish beekeeper who lived near the southern city of Katowice was pronounced dead after he collapsed while tending to his bees. It was assumed that he suffered a heart attack. An Ambulance was called and an experienced doctor declared the man dead. 

A spokesman for the Regional Ambulance Service in Katowice, said: 'The patient was not breathing, there was no heart beat, the body had cooled - all are the characteristics of death.

Three hours later the man's family called an undertaker to remove the body. Just as Funeral director Dariusz Wysłuchato was about to seal the coffin, Jozef Guzy's wife, Ludmilla, asked him to remove her husband's watch. As Mr Wysłuchato fiddled with the watch chain he happened to touch Mr Guzy's neck and detected a pulse.

'I touched around the neck artery and suddenly realised he wasn't dead after all. I checked again and shouted, "It's a pulse!" I had a friend check and he noticed the man was breathing. God, it was a miracle!

The ambulance was called again and the same doctor returned. He confirmed Mr Guzy had 'come back from the dead'.

Jozef Guzy was taken to hospital and after a few days rest was sent home. The doctors could find nothing wrong with him. Mr Wysłuchato said:

'Thank God I did not close the coffin - if I had done that it would have been a tragedy.'Something touched me to touch his neck - I'm so pleased he's alive.'

Mr Guzy added: ‘The undertaker saved my life. The first thing I did when I got out of hospital was take him a pot of honey.’

Jozef Guzy was lucky but have you ever stopped to think that maybe some people have actually been buried alive. Click here for stories of people Just Dying To Get Out

Follow me on Twitter

Man Bargains with Police for Pot

Steven Alan Locasio, 48, of Coco Plum Rd, Marathon, Fl. was in the marijuana growing business. He had six plants growing in a wooded lot in Marathon. As luck would have it, the plants were discovered by Monroe County detectives who decided to see if they could catch the owner.

The detectives uprooted the plants but left a note behind with a phone number and the following message: “Thanks for the grow! You want them back? Call for the price.”

Steven Locasio took the bait. Within 10 minutes of leaving the note the detectives received a call. Steven offered them $200 for the plants and agreed to meet up with them to make the exchange.

View Larger Map

After meeting with the detectives things went from bad to worse for Steven. He was arrested and when the detectives searched his apartment, they really hit the jackpot. They found 20 more pot plants, four pounds of harvested weed, Oxycontin and $1,380 in cash.

Steven Locasio was charged with 4 felonies and a misdemeanor.

1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.1a2, MARIJUANA-PRODUCING – SCHEDULE I,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.2a2, MARIJUANA – PURCHASE SCHEDULE I,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.6a, MARIJUANA-POSSESS – POSSESS MARIJUANA OVER 20 GRAMS,
1 Felony Count(s) of 893.13.6a, DRUGS-POSSESS – CNTRL SUB WO PRESCRIPTION,
1 Misdemeanor Count(s) of 893.147.1, DRUG EQUIP-POSSESS – AND OR USE

 

Follow me on Twitter