OFFBEAT NEWS:

Christmas is saved! Zippy, Deerfield, New Hampshire’s life-size elf has been returned safe and sound. As we previously reported, someone, or a group of people, stole the elf and by the sounds of it, Deerfield’s Rescue Squad was distraught.

After plenty of public pleas and nationwide media attention, Zippy has made his way back home. “It is with GREAT HAPPINESS that we can announce that ZIPPY has been returned,” the squad writes on Facebook. “He a little wet, but safe, We would like to thank everyone in the Community for helping Zippy and keeping a close watch on him.”

The grinch who stole the elf is still at large.
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Remember Sahar Tabar? The 19-year-old from Iran who claimed to have gone under the knife 50 times to look more like Angelina Jolie? Turns out she lied.

Tabar was dubbed a “zombie” by some who decided the “surgeries” were not a good idea. Fortunately, the look was actually thanks to serious makeup skills. According to Tabar though, she never claimed to have done under the knife. “Over time I post a photo, I make my face more fun and funny, it is a form of self-expression, a kind of art,” she explains. “My fans know that this is not my real face.”

After all the hoopla, Sahar turned her Instagram private.
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STUPID CRIMINALS:

Before heading to her court appearance for marijuana possession summons, an unidentified 26-year-old woman decided to light up once more. The problem? She had ended up parked in the local police chief’s spot. Now, the woman has another marijuana possession summons along with a ticket for using her cellphone while driving.

There’s drunk driving and then there’s being so drunk, you don’t realize there’s a mass transit sign sticking out of her roof. A 52-year-old woman was pulled over in Hackensack, New Jersey when police noticed a New Jersey Transit sign protruding through the top of her car. The anonymous woman told authorities she had no idea how that happened and was promptly hit with driving while intoxicated and careless driving charges.

Stephen Bowman is not someone to mess with. While helping the Port Richey police with a call about a suspect who had barricaded himself in his home, the pilot was hit with a laser pointer. He was able to keep his cool while in the air, but Bowman says he was temporarily blinded. After a few more encounters with the laser, Bowman decided to pull away from the assignment…to catch whoever was pointing the laser. The pilot landed the helicopter in a parking lot and walked to where he thought the laser pointer lived. Sure enough, Bowman found 27-year-old Ryan Fluke and held him until cops arrived. Fluke, who was very confused as to where Bowman had put his helicopter, has been charged with misuse of laser lighting devices, a third-degree felony.