Runaway Zebra, Hit List, Bad Getaway Idea

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the more unusual, wacky, wonderful or just plain weird stories that have had people talking over the past few weeks.

Bank Robber Took The Bus: Cops

A man accused of holding up a St. Petersburg SunTrust bank on Thursday found out the hard way a bus might not make for the fastest getaway.

Barefoot Snake Hunter Catches Mother Of All Pythons

To say that Dusty "Wildman" Crum loves his job is something of an understatement. He works outdoors, sets his own hours and wrestles giant, bone-crushing Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades for a living without any sort of weapon or protective clothing. The 36-year-old bearded Crum bagged the mother of all pythons earlier this week when he took home a 16-foot-10 inch python that was carrying 73 babies.

‘Iowa Hit List’ Lands Florida Man In Jail

An email threatening the life of Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and other high-profile state officials landed a 59-year-old Port Richey, Florida, man in hot water Monday. The email was allegedly sent to the governor’s office and also posted to a Facebook page operated by the Iowa Family Preservation Project. The threats reportedly came on the heels of the state of Iowa’s decision to strip the accused man’s daughter of parental rights over her children.

Gatorland Tip Saved Girl, 10, During Alligator Attack

A 10-year-old girl attacked by an alligator in Lake Mary Jane in the Orlando area Saturday is on the mend thanks to a tip she learned at a theme park. The girl poked the gator’s nostril after it chomped down and then pried her leg free.

Escaped Zebra Causes Crash, Takes Off (Video)

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Friday afternoon crash that sent a 21-year-old Riverview man to the hospital with minor injuries. The creature that caused the fender bender isn’t likely to face charges though. After all, it’s hard to get a zebra to pay a fine even in a hit-and-run.

Man In Boxer Shorts Crashes Into Police Cruiser, Dances: Video

A Pasco County Sheriff’s Office sergeant who thought he’d stumbled across the scene of an accident Tuesday afternoon soon learned his initial assessment didn’t quite hit the mark.

Rogue Walmart Register Spits Out $20s (Video)

A trip to Walmart generally leaves folks just a little lighter in the wallet. That wasn’t the case for a group of people in Winter Haven a few days ago, according to police. Authorities say a self-checkout register went “rogue,” spitting out $20s instead of $5 bills to the tune of more than a $1,000 loss to the store.

Rattlesnake Checks Out Polk County Firefighters In Action (Video)

Polk County firefighters aren’t rattlesnake whisperers, but it seems the reptiles in the area don’t know that. For the second time in recent weeks, one of the critters slithered up to watch crews in action. Firefighters managed to capture some video of their scaly groupie before it moved along.