Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Usually it's the tourists behaving badly in Italy, but this time three men accused of crimes outside the Colosseum are locals.
The men have been arrested on suspicion of extortion after dressing up as gladiators and centurions and demanding money from tourists for their self-styled "imperial selfies" -- which they had asked the tourists to take.
Rome's Polizia di Stato police force announced the news on its Facebook page, stating that during August and September, they received a "number of complaints from foreign tourists who had had up to 500 euros (CA$699) extorted from them."
"The modus operandi was identical," they wrote. Men dressed as gladiators or centurions would allegedly invite their tourist victims to take an "imperial selfie" with them outside the Colosseum, and then demand money. Sometimes "violence and threats" were used.
One Italian tourist was asked for 40 euros (CA$55); when he said no, two of the suspects surrounded him, threatened to beat him up, and allegedly extorted 150 euros (CA$209) from them.
An Irish tourist who refused to pay up, saying they had no money, was apparently marched to a nearby ATM where they jostled them, police said. The victim withdrew 200 euros (CA$279) and handed it over, only for the men to demand more, and force them to extract another 50 euros (CA$69).
Helped by Rome's Public Prosecutor's Office, the police identified the three men and have obtained a precautionary measure regarding them. Two have been placed under house arrest and one held in custody.
Investigations are still at a preliminary stage.
Rome's fake gladiators -- who are in fact usually dressed as centurions (soldiers) rather than gladiators -- have long been a problem, with many tourists snapping photos with them blissfully unaware that they will be charged. It is illegal to make tourists pay for photos, though some seem to have not got the memo.
In January, two Romans were fined 13,500 euros (CA$18,890) when they were caught charging tourists for a photo, and their costumes were confiscated.
In 2015, a Romanian TV crew filming the centurions was robbed when they refused to pay. Another centurion pulled up his tunic and made obscene gestures at the crew.
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore warned Thursday of a 'very long road ahead' to recover from the loss of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge as the Biden administration approved US$60 million in immediate federal aid after the deadly collapse.
B.C. conservation officers recently seized a nine-foot-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
The Ontario government is introducing changes to auto-insurance, but some experts say the move is ill-advised.
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Newfoundland’s unique version of the Pine Marten has grown out of its threatened designation.
A Toronto man is out $12,000 after falling victim to a deepfake cryptocurrency scam that appeared to involve Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
There’s a group of people in Saskatoon that proudly call themselves dumpster divers, and they’re turning the city’s trash into treasure.
Ontario is facing a larger than anticipated deficit but the Doug Ford government still plans to balance its books before the next provincial election.