Crime & Safety

OMGs: Heat Too Much for Pool-Loving Bear to Bear

Also, there are better ways to avoid a cocaine arrest.

You think you've been hot and uncomfortable this past week? Just be glad you're not covered with fur.

The heat apparently proved too much to bear for one, well, bear, as a Dana Strus of North Caldwell learned. She looked out her window Tuesday and saw a black bear in her yard splashing around in her pool.

The mother of one (with another on the way) did what one does in 2011 when something odd happens – she stepped out onto the patio to photograph and film her new friend, Fozzie (). We can only imagine that 20 minutes later, the bear's friends were tagging him and leaving snarky comments on Facebook ("Hey, buddy, there aren't any pic-a-nic baskets in the water!").

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(She also called police a few minutes later, but the bear left on it's own and hasn't been threatening anyone, so police say there isn't much to do.)

Strus said things were pretty much back to normal the next day, when she even went for a dip in her pool herself. Here's hoping that her filters did a decent job with any fur her unexpected guest left behind.

Find out what's happening in Cranfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each Monday, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Some of the other reports:

A Foot-loss at Footloose: A Basking Ridge resident told police she and two other women found that their  while they were attending a rehearsal for a "Plays in the Park" production of Footloose. There's only one upside: If the fashionably foot-clad thief happens to be wearing the sandals if and when he or she is found, the thief might not be so hard to catch. But if the thief also likes to sneak off with sneakers, things might get a little trickier.

Third Time's a Charm: When a batter hits three for three, it's a very good thing. When an . Galloway Township police arrested the same man three times in three days – on different charges each time. Once, he was accused of simple assault and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. In the other incidents, he was accused of shoplifting and defiant trespass. We're guessing he's had better weeks (but think of it this way – for up to four days that week, he didn't get arrested, which isn't too shabby, all things considered).

You Don't Tug on ... Oh, Forget It: We've had a bit of a running thing here in our weekly OMGs; we call it the "You Don't Tug on Superman's Cape" category. But you know what? Some people are determined to just tug and tug away. For instance, one man might have gotten through Manchester without catching the police department's attention, police say, . "A subsequent check of his license to issue a summons yielded a $1,000 traffic warrant out of Ocean Port. When he was placed under arrest and searched, he had cocaine in his pocket," a sergeant told Patch. So here's our Unnecessary OMGs Criminal Mastermind Tip of The Week: If you're going to carry around cocaine in your pocket, don't shout at ... oh, whatever. We won't try and stop you. Have fun. We'll see you here next week.


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