Rental Scam, Marijuana-Laced Cookies, Squirrel on a Rampage: Weird Florida

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the wackier, wonderful or just plain stories from the past few weeks:

USF Student Lied About Robbery: Cops

One of four University of South Florida students who reported receiving threats in their residence hall rooms on Election Day now faces unrelated criminal charges. According to the USF Police Department, the girl made up a story about being robbed on campus.

Tampa Woman Rented Out Pasco Homes She Didn’t Own: Sheriff

A 43-year-old Tampa woman faces criminal charges after Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies say she pretended to own two homes so she could rent them out to unsuspecting victims.

Assistant Principal Arrested: Pot-Laced Cookies Were Gift From Daughter, Deputies Say

A daughter's intention to help her mother cross off a bucket list item in honor of her 50th birthday ended up landing them both in jail.

Smelly Socks Led to Teen’s Drug Arrest: Sheriff's Office

A 15-year-old Horizons Academy student faces criminal charges after a Manatee County deputy happened to catch a whiff of a something not quite right on the boy Wednesday morning.

Battery Brouhaha, Racial Slurs Prompted George Zimmerman’s Bar Bouncing: Deputies

George Zimmerman, the Florida neighborhood watch captain who was catapulted into the news following the 2012 shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, is once again making headlines. This time he’s accused of slinging racial slurs, creating a brouhaha in a bar and saying a deputy was “under qualified to flip burgers.”

Tampa Toast in Zombie Apocalypse, Study Says

Fans of “The Walking Dead” may recall what Atlanta looked on the little screen after the fictional zombie apocalypse took hold. That’s how the folks at Career Builder envision Tampa’s future should fantasy ever become reality … only worse.

Deputies Fish Drowning Suspect Out of Canal

A 39-year-old man who reportedly tried to flee Pasco County Sheriff’s deputies on Wednesday night by diving into a canal ended up requiring a save from the very law enforcement officers he tried to run from.

911 Audio: Squirrel Rampages at Florida Senior Community

Sharks, alligators, the occasional bear and stray monkey tend to top the list of culprits involved in Florida wild animal attacks. Squirrels generally aren’t even a blip on the radar.

Find My iPad Feature Led to Burglars’ Downfall: Sheriff

Stealing electronic devices that have self-tracking technology equipped can be a crapshoot. At least that’s what a man and woman from Miami found out on Sunday after Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies say they swiped an iPad from a woman’s Toyota Rav4.

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