Guatemala bans motorbike passengers to deter murders

Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:35pm EDT
GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemala has banned motorcyclists from carrying passengers in an attempt to crack down on drive-by murders by gunmen perched on the back of moving bikes.

The Central American country is terrorized by violent street gangs who rob car drivers at gunpoint and kill bus drivers, among others, for failing to pay extortion fees. Hitmen often shoot victims from the back of a motorcycle, which lets them make a speedy getaway if traffic is heavy.

The law implemented this month also requires motorcyclists to wear brightly colored jackets and helmets clearly marked with their vehicle registration number.

Flouting the law will mean a fine of up to $3,000. Police will start charging in May to give people time to comply.

"We're still seeing many bikes with two people. We make the passengers get off but we can't yet give out fines," police spokesman Marco Trejo told Reuters on Monday.

Authorities are struggling to contain youth gangs like the "Mara 18" and "Mara Salvatrucha," which have thousands of members from the United States to Central America and live off extortion, armed assault and drug dealing.

The country of 13 million people is also plagued by crime linked to Mexican drug cartels smuggling South American cocaine north.

More than 40 bus drivers have been killed this year in Guatemala City, many in bike attacks, for not paying off the gangs in an extortion racket worth an estimated $10,000 a day.

The signature technique has also been used recently to murder prominent Guatemalans including a television reporter and the former director of the national chamber of industry.

With over 6,000 murders last year, Guatemala is one of the most violent countries in Latin America.

The ban on pillion passengers is irking many motorbike drivers. "I use my motorcycle to take my children to school and my wife to work," courier Jorge Monterroso said.

"It's too dangerous for them to use the buses where all kinds of people can get on, take out a gun and start shooting."

(Reporting by Sarah Grainger, editing by Patricia Zengerle)

Man dressed as Batman character, the Joker, shot dead by police

Peter Walker and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 March 2009 01.45 GMT

A man dressed as Batman villain the Joker has been shot dead by police in America after pointing a loaded shotgun at them.

The dead man, who was said to be obsessed with the character, was wearing full costume and makeup when he was challenged by officers in a national park in Virginia, according to legal documents.

The FBI named him as army specialist Christopher Lanum, who was wanted as a suspect over the stabbing of a fellow soldier at Fort Eustis, a major army base in the state, several hours before. Lanum's girlfriend, Patsy Ann Marie Montowski, who was with him when he was shot, told investigators that the soldier idolised the Joker, played in the most recent Batman film, The Dark Knight, by the late Heath Ledger.

The events began at the base early on Sunday when Lanum become embroiled in an argument with a fellow soldier, Mitchell Stone, allegedly stabbing him and using a stun gun on him.

Lanum and Montowski fled in her van, which was later spotted around 200 miles away inside Shenandoah national park. Police pursued the pair, who crashed the van after running over a spiked strip laid in the road.

According to the FBI documents, Lanum told Montowski to kill him with the shotgun but she refused. He then pointed the gun at police, his finger on the trigger, and refused orders to drop it, before being shot several times.

Montowski was also shot and taken to hospital. Details of the case emerged yesterday after she was charged in connection with the case following treatment.

MLB urns and caskets for the seventh-inning slump-over

Posted by Joel Johnson, February 16, 2009 5:28 AM |

From the company that brought you Star Trek urns and caskets comes this new line of funereal accessories inspired by Major League Baseball. $800 for the urn, $4,500 for the caskets, each with the livery of your favorite teams, as well as a dispassionate plaque stating that the MLB has recognized you as a "lifelong fan". [via GirlHacker]