Bomb ‘Joke,’ Burger King Bandits, Banana Brouhaha

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:

Burger King Bandits Behind Bars: Deputies

Two Pinellas County men with an alleged penchant for robbing Burger King restaurants face more charges following their Oct. 3 arrest in Palmetto. Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies announced on Friday that both men have been linked to a September armed robbery in unincorporated Largo.

Not-So-Great Aunt Left Baby With Stranger: Deputies

A 48-year-old Bradenton woman faces child neglect charges after Sarasota County Sheriff’s deputies say she left her 2-week-old great niece in the care of a stranger she met at Bee Ridge Park.

Bed Bug Infestations Earn Tampa National Ranking

Mosquitoes might not be the only nasty, pesky, biting bugs for folks in the Tampa Bay area to worry about. Terminix on Friday released its list of top 20 bed bug-infested cities across the country. Tampa was the only Florida town to earn the dubious placement.

Taliban Bomb ‘Joke’ Lands Florida Man In Jail

A 48-year-old Clearwater man is in hot water after his alleged attempt at humor was deemed as anything but funny by Largo Police.

Banana Brouhaha Leads To Man’s Arrest

A Monday morning dispute between two men took a violent turn when Pasco County deputies say one revved his engine, moved his vehicle forward and pinned the other.

Starbucks’ Up-Skirt Peeper Foiled By Flash: Deputies

A 48-year-old Tampa man’s decision to turn on his flash while taking photos in Palm Harbor Starbucks on Monday evidently did more than illuminate his intended subject. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the action tipped off an employee that the man was allegedly taking up-skirt photos of a customer.