Ted Cruz’s Zodiac Connection, Stuck in a Banyan Tree, Doughnut Mix Up: Best of Weird Florida

Patch operates 24 daily news sites in the Tampa Bay area and surrounding counties. The following are some of the more unusual stories that have made so far this year:

Ted Cruz Could Be Zodiac Killer, Voters Say

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was wasn’t alive when the infamous Zodiac Killer began a brutal crime spree that terrorized California’s Bay Area, but that isn’t stopping a fairly high percentage of likely Florida voters from thinking it’s possible the two are connected.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut Glaze Mix-Up Led to Meth Arrest, Man Says

That sticky, sweet glaze that makes Krispy Kreme doughnuts so hard to pass by (especially when the bright red “Hot Now” light is illuminated in a store window) can also lead to a case of mistaken identity. At least that’s the contention of an Orlando man, who says he was falsely arrested last year after a cop thought doughnut glaze flakes were crystal meth.

Man Nicknamed ‘Pork Chop’ Buried Boss Alive: Deputies

Whether Johnny Paycheck’s “Take This Job and Shove It” was an earworm running through a Florida man’s head on Wednesday morning remains unclear. What is clear is that the 32-year-old DeBary man faces felony charges after Volusia County deputies say he dumped two loads of dirt on his boss following an argument.

Bearded Man Sought In $1K Gillette Razor Heist

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is looking for some assistance to identify a suspect deputies say managed to help himself to $974 worth of razors on Monday.

Pro-Gun Mom Shot By Son Must Take Gun Safety Class

The pro-gun Florida mom who was accidentally shot in the back by her 4-year-old son in March will not face criminal charges in the case, but she has been ordered to take a gun safety class as part of a deferred prosecution agreement struck earlier this week.

Sheriff Joins Hunt for ‘Bigfoot’

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has joined the search for a 9-foot Sasquatch recently reported missing by a homeowner. Residents in the area of Lake Tropicana have no reason to fear, the agency insisted on Facebook. “We do not believe that Bigfoot is a danger to the community, but the owner of Bigfoot genuinely would like it back home,” the agency wrote.

Florida Woman Gets Stuck In Banyan Tree

Police officers and firefighters are quite accustomed to helping people get out of tight jams. After all, it’s their duty to “protect and serve.”

Man Wearing Handcuffs Turns Himself In: Deputies Say

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of a man its deputies say slipped away from custody with handcuffs still on after a Tuesday night traffic stop.

Rescue workers had to free a woman who managed to get herself stuck inside a banyan tree earlier this year. Photo courtesy of the Key West Police Department