Richard Close, the wife-beater

Rising gas prices are putting many people, especially commuters, in a financial pinch. Predictions for $4 a gallon gas this summer isn’t making matters any better. How do you react to the rising gas prices? Do you curb your driving habits? Vent your frustration? Whatever you do, I doubt it’s as horrible as this 77-year-old man’s reaction. He beat up his wife, who is on kidney dialysis because he was sick of spending so much on gas.

The Florida man’s wife went on vacation to visit her family in Illinois during the winter holidays. During the trip, a doctor decided she needed to be on kidney dialysis. Upon returning home, her husband had the task of driving her to the doctor’s office and back home to get the dialysis. The increased driving caused their normal $60 a month spent on gas to rise to $140 a month. Instead of being adult about it and dealing with the situation, especially since the increased spending is to keep his wife alive, the guy decided to go a different route.

Police responded to a domestic disturbance complaint at the couple’s home this past weekend. When questioned, the man told police “he roughed up his 74-year-old wife because he was upset about the high cost of gas for driving her to and from dialysis treatments”. The man was charged with aggravated battery and battery on a person over 65 and faces “a minimum term of imprisonment of 3 years and fined not more than $10,000 and shall also be ordered by the sentencing judge to make restitution to the victim of such offense and to perform up to 500 hours of community service work.” Talk about an overreaction. You’d think the man would just deal with it. I mean, this is supposed to be the love of his life and he’s getting mad at her for helping her stay alive. What’s up with that?

[Link]

• Nude maid cleans more than this man’s home
• “Hair-raising” car chase in TN comes to an uneventful end
• Brookings County Sheriff’s office: Biggest underage party ever busted, 40 people in attendance
• Police arrest woman threatening to kill pedestrians with a rifle, “They’re out to get me!” she says.
• What’s a bad way to install satellite TV?