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1. Dispute over Child Support
Cutthroat Kills Woman, [Attempts] Suicide
On the 26th, the Liuzhou Police circulated a notice of a cutthroat murder case that had occurred in the North Liuzhou District a few days previously. The suspected criminal used a knife to slit the throat of a woman, then slit his own throat [in an attempt] to commit suicide. He was rushed to a hospital by police officers for emergency treatment.
The murder occurred on August 23 at about 6:00 p.m. in a rented room in the New Village area of Partridge Creek Village, Long Dyke Town, North Liuzhou District. A man killed a woman with a knife and then cut his own throat in an [attempted] suicide at the scene. He was promptly rushed to a hospital for emergency treatment by police officers who had hurried to the scene in time. The woman unfortunately died on the spot.
It is our understanding that the suspect is Qin _li, 33, from Liuzhou. The murdered woman was his ex-wife, Qin _jin. According to the recollections of an eyewitness at the scene and residents in the immediate vicinity, the couple may have started arguing due to a problem with child support for their daughter. It eventually turned into a scuffle, and Mr. Qin slit Ms. Qin's throat with an approximately15 centimeter pocket knife he was carrying, killing her. The police subsequently confirmed this version of events from Mr. Qin, who used gestures to communicate.
On August 25, officers conducted a search of Mr. Qin's residence in accordance with law. Additional relevant evidence is still being collected.
Liuzhou Online, 2014-8-27
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2. Wife Can't Stand Domestic Violence, "Bails Out"
Willow River County Husband Pursues Her to City, Tries to Drag Her Home
Trainee Reporter Liang Shuangfeng, Correspondent Zhang Qicai, Dispatch to the Evening News
She thought her husband would be able to restrain himself after being forced to quit drugs, and that their marital problems would take a turn for the better. She didn't expect that his evil habits would be so hard to change and that he would continue to terrorize her after he came home. Ms. Zeng could no longer stand the pressure of her husband's domestic violence and "fled" from Willow River County to Liuzhou to get a job. She never thought she would be "spotted" by her husband.
The 30-year-old Ms. Zeng and her husband are both from Willow River County. She previously operated a clothing store there. Although it was a small business, it was well run and they were able to get by. However, her husband had not had a regular job for years. His lack of economic income was not a big problem, but in recent years he was infected by the bad habit of taking drugs and constantly demanded money from Ms. Zeng. After returning home from a compulsory detox program, he threatened Ms. Zeng with a razor and other sharp implements. Before long she was unable to keep her store open and came alone to the city to work. She hoped to earn a little money to cover her two children's living expenses.
Ms. Zeng's husband was incensed when she left home. He searched all over for her. At dusk on August 8, Ms. Zeng was "restrained" by her husband at the entrance to Saddle Mountain Park. Just as she was about to be pulled into a high-top canopy truck, a member of the public who was passing by called the police. Officers from the Fish Peak Police Affairs Kiosk hurried to the scene and found the couple still struggling. The husband said their children were at home and missed their mother. He wanted to take his wife back to Willow River County so they could have a traditional "Ghost Day" holiday together. But Ms. Zeng, the wife, said she feared her husband would be violent towards her again and she was unwilling to go home.
The officers first urged the couple to settle down and initiated at-the-scene mediation. They asked for the details of the situation from beginning to end. After calming down, Ms. Zeng said there was no way she could put up with the domestic violence and indicated that she wanted a divorce.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2014-08-10, p. 3
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3. Driving ¥100K Car to Steal Beans
Eccentric Woman says, "It's Hot, I Need Stimulation"
Reporter Xiao Jun, Student Trainee Li Huiting, Correspondent Zhou Liuning
The continuing hot spell makes people want to avoid the heat and stay cool by "homing it" in their residences. If they take a half step outside they'll exclaim, "It's crazy hot!" Even so, one eccentric woman, perhaps stricken by the heat, surprised people by driving a car costing over a hundred thousand Yuan (≈$16,400) to a supermarket to steal mung beans worth thirty Yuan (≈$5).
The afternoon of August 3 was more sweltering than ever when a woman arrived at a supermarket on Reed Mountain Road. After walking around the store she headed out the exit, where a store security guard stopped her.
"You've got some of the store's property. Why haven't you paid?" In fact, the guard had been watching this woman over the supermarket's security video system and had seen her stuff some mung beans into her bag.
But the woman denied it, so the security guard called [the police hotline] 110.
Supervisor Zhu from Honor the Army Precinct rushed to the supermarket. The woman who had been detained was a Ms. Mo, age 42. During questioning, the officer found that she did indeed have some mung beans in the bag she was carrying. Store personnel estimated the value at thirty Yuan. The evidence was conclusive and Ms. Mo had nothing to say for herself, so the officer decided to take her back to the station for booking.
I hope you guys can give me a break," Ms. Mo said to the officer, indicating that she didn't want to go the station. "I've been laid off, and times are tough." When this didn't work, Ms. Mo asked the officer if she could first lock her vehicle, which was parked outside the store.
The officer assumed that Ms. Mo's vehicle was an e-bike, but he followed her out to a brand new sedan worth over a hundred thousand Yuan. Why would a woman who was dressed well and driving a sedan steal thirty Yuan worth of things from a supermarket? When the officer asked her that, Ms. Mo said that it was hot, and she was bored, and she kept thinking about finding some stimulation. That's when the idea of stealing something sprouted. This reply of Ms. Mo's left the officer absolutely speechless.
In accordance with the law, the police are currently holding Ms. Mo in administrative detention on suspicion of theft.
[Fannyi wonders if kleptomania is another one of those "spiritual pollution" things.]
Liuzhou Evening News, 2014/08/05
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4. Stolen Phone Sends Back "Images of the Theft"
Evidence Conclusive, Thief Gets Seven Months
Reporter Li Lan, Correspondent Qiu Jing, Dispatch to the Evening News
Taking advantage of the inattentiveness of a person boarding a bus, the defendant Wei _shan obtained a cell phone by theft, but he had no idea that the phone's owner had installed remote control software and was able to direct the phone to take photos of him. On the seventh, after a public hearing on the case, the People's Court for the Central City District found Wei _shan guilty of theft. It sentenced him to a determinate seven-month prison term and fined him 3,000 Yuan (≈$492).
On June 15 this year, after catching a bus at the Route 7 public bus stop on Literary Revival Road, Ah-Ke noticed that his cell phone had been stolen.
Ah-Ke had installed remote control software on the phone and, through a computer, was able to direct the phone to begin photographing its surroundings. He could also have the phone send the photos back to the computer.
After the phone was stolen, Ah-Ke used this software to direct the phone to take photos. As a result, in addition to some pictures of scenery, the phone returned photos of an unknown male. Ah-Ke thereupon assumed that the stranger was a suspect in the theft of the phone.
On June 22, as Ah-Ke was passing by the bus stop on Literary Revival Road, he noticed the stranger in the photo nearby and immediately notified Public Security personnel.
The Public Security personnel took the male suspect into custody based on Ah-Ke's identification.
On August 7, the People's Court for the Central City District initiated a public hearing on the case. In court, Wei _shan did not dispute the facts of the crime or the accusations. The Central City Court issued the aforementioned decision at the conclusion of the session.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2014-08-10, p. 3
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5. Children who Renounce Inheritance Don't Need to Pay Father's Debts
Dispatch from Liuzhou to South China Today (Reporter He Shujun, Correspondent Wu Hanjun)
Before his death, Mr. Qin incurred a business debt to his friend Mr. Zhang. Mr. Qin passed away in July 2012, and Mr. Zhang filed a complaint in court against his wife and children for restitution. The court has now decided that the debt has to be repaid by Mr. Qin's wife, Ms. Li, but the children are not liable because they have abandoned their inheritance rights.
In May 2010, Mr. Qin issued an "IOU" to his friend Mr. Zhang for more than 120,000 Yuan (≈$19,700), due at the end of 2011. Subsequently Mr. Qin repaid Mr. Zhang more than ten thousand Yuan in installments, but the balance of 110,000 Yuan was unpaid when he unfortunately passed away in July 2012. With no [other] way to get his money back, Mr. Zhang sued Mr. Qin's wife and their children in the North Liuzhou People's Court, demanding that they repay the debt.
During the trial, the children emphasized that they had not received any of Mr. Qin's assets and were willing to give up their rights to inherit. At the hearing the Court recognized that the debt should be repaid, and that heirs who renounce their rights to inherit are not responsible for the debts of the decedent or for the inheritance taxes imposed by law. The IOU is proof of the debt owed by Mr. Qin to Mr. Zhang, but the aforementioned debt was incurred by Mr. Qin and his wife, Ms. Li, during the course of their marriage and should be construed as a community obligation. Accordingly, the Court sustained Mr. Zhang's demand that Ms. Li repay the loan plus interest. Ultimately the Court issued an order that Ms. Li repay the aforementioned debt of 110,000 Yuan plus interest.
South China Today, 2014-08-18
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6. Passenger Caught Carrying Live Snakes Aboard Plane
Man Suspected of Carrying Contraband Handed Over to Airport Public Security for Processing
[This article illustrates the Party doctrine that the primary purpose of newspapers is to "educate" the public about Government/Party policies. After a teaser to attract attention, the report degenerates into a recitation of "relevant regulations". There is no need to delve into the details of the incident, such as where the snakes were coming from or their market value, because such facts are not relevant to the purpose of the report. The last paragraph, however, shows that this attitude may be changing, if ever so slowly. The reporter was at least tempted to write an actual news story. – Fannyi]
Dispatch from Nanning to South China Today (Reporter Lu Donglin)
On August 17, this reporter was informed by a Security Checkpoint at Nanning Wuwei International Airport that, on the 16th, the station detected 11 live snakes on the person of a male passenger boarding flight CA1466 (Nanning—Beijing). Currently, the passenger has been transferred to the Airport Public Security authorities because of the suspected breach of concealed carrying [regulations].
Around 6 pm on August 16, Nanning airport screeners in Channel 1, Domestic Departure Hall A, were performing security inspections. A male passenger for flight CA1466 (Nanning—Beijing) entered the channel. After he put down his carry-on luggage to go through the security gate, he appeared a bit nervous and had his hands in his pants pockets. Based on their professional sensitivity [to such behavior], the screeners initiated a stricter inspection of the man and found unidentified objects wrapped in socks in his pants pockets. Also, another object was apparently tied around his waist. The screeners therefore asked him to take the items out of his pockets for inspection by the [X-ray] machine, while two same-sex screeners took him to a non-public examination room to be searched.
The search found a live snake, about 0.8 meters in length, wrapped in kraft paper and tied around the passenger's waist. The unidentified objects in the socks turned out to be 10 live baby snakes. The relevant provisions of the Civil Aviation Authority regulations prohibit carrying live animals into the passenger cabin of aircraft. Further, because of this passenger's modus operandi, i.e. alleged concealed carrying, the Screening Department transferred both the man and the animals to the Airport Public Security authorities for further processing.
The Nanning Airport Security Department reminds all passengers that, according to the relevant Civil Aviation Authority regulations, live animals cannot be carried on one's person. However, if appropriate certificates have been issued by the Inspection and Quarantine Department and if the carrier (i.e. the airline) agrees, they can be processed as cargo for shipment. It is hoped that, before departure, general passengers who have questions about whether any items may be carried on the person or how they should be carried will read the relevant regulations in timely fashion or ask the Airport Security Department. To avoid interruptions to one's travel, do not deliberately carry concealed [contraband] and conscientiously abide by the relevant Civil Aviation Authority regulations.
What was this man's motive for carrying live snakes aboard an aircraft? Why did he want to do it? To unravel these mysteries, your reporter made repeated attempts to contact the involved airport personnel on the evening of August 17th for answers. Regrettably, the attempts were not successful.
South China Today, 2014-08-18
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7. Man Steals Cab to Catch Train
Shijiazhuang Man and Age 6 Child in Wild Chase, Arrested 2 Hours Later in Yongfu, Guilin
Correspondent Qin Qiujuan, Dispatch to the Evening News
On July 28, a man assaulted a taxi driver and took off in his cab. He had his 6-year-old son with him throughout this crazy escapade. After receiving the alarm, the police chased him in a car for two hours. They captured the recklessly driving car theft suspect on a section of Restored Bridge Road in Yongfu County, Guilin Prefecture. The stolen taxi was "recovered intact."
That afternoon, the Liuzhou 110 Emergency Operator transferred a call to the Second Brigade of the Guangxi Highway Patrol saying: A man had taken by force a blue taxi with Guangxi license plate AT___1. He was currently fleeing from Liuzhou toward Guilin on the Guilin-Liuzhou section of the G72 South Springs highway. They were requested to send cars to assist in the investigation.
After receiving the information about the escape which was transferred by the Liuzhou 110 Operator, and also from the GPS positioning system [sic], the Second Brigade immediately set up checkpoints at various intersections to look out for and seize the suspect's vehicle. They also began a chase. After a two hour chase, officers from the Second Brigade, coordinating with their brother unit the First Brigade, successfully intercepted said vehicle in the Liuzhou to Guilin direction on a stretch of Restored Bridge Road, G65 Sheaves of Grass highway, in Yongfu County, and took the suspect into custody. Investigators learned that the suspect, a Mr. Zhao, is from the city of Shijiazhuang in Hebei Province. He was taking his son back to Hebei from Nanning, but was late for and missed the train to Shijiazhuang in Nanning. He therefore took a taxi from Nanning to Guilin, thinking he could catch up with the train. Since that's a rather long trip, Mr. Zhao got into a dispute with the taxi driver over the fare. He threatened the driver, took the cab by force, and drove it himself toward Guilin to catch the train he had missed.
Under questioning, the suspect Mr. Zhao candidly confessed to the crime. The case has now been transferred to the Liuzhou Criminal Investigation Brigade for further investigation.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2014-07-30, p. 7
Chinese text available here.
1. Cutthroat Kills Woman, [Attempts] Suicide
2. Wife Can't Stand Domestic Violence, Leaves
3. Driving ¥100K Car to Steal Beans
Chinese Stories in English
7. Man Steals Cab to Catch Train
4. Stolen Phone Sends Back Evidence
5. Kids Renounce Inheritance, Avoid Debts
6. Passenger Carries Live Snakes on Plane
News Translations Published in August 2014