What goes better with watermelon than pot?

More foodie news from the Houston Chronicle…

A pair of Houston men taking watermelon into Mississippi remain in custody after authorities found about $100,000 worth of marijuana in their truck.

The driver, Gregory Thrasher, 49, and co-driver Ivan Bravo, 27, were arrested about 7 a.m. Monday at a truck inspection station in Pike County, Miss., authorities said.

The inspectors became suspicious of the pair because they didn’t know each other, said officials with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

They searched the watermelon-filled trailer and also found six large bundles near the front containing about 100 pounds of marijuana, officials said.

Thrasher and Bravo were taken into custody and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and conspiracy to deliver marijuana.

They are being held without bond at the Pink County Jail, authorities said Tuesday.

Spaghetti and monkey balls?

Foodie news from Reuters…

Indonesian police have arrested a couple who made meatballs from the flesh of protected monkeys, an animal conservation group said on Wednesday.

The pair poached dozens of rare Javan langurs, also known as silver-leaf monkeys, from Baluran National Park in the east of Java island, according to a statement released by Indonesia-based animal protection group ProFauna.

“Police found 30 kilograms (65 pounds) meat estimated to come from 20 – 25 individuals, two rifles and a live langur,” the statement said.

“The couple admitted that they had known what they did was against the law and they hunted the monkeys for their meat because beef and chicken were more expensive than the protected monkeys.”

Meatball soup, known locally as bakso, is a popular dish in Indonesia.

The statement said police were now broadening their investigation to include checks on vendors suspected of selling the monkey meatballs, while ProFauna was in talks with the national park caretakers to prevent further poaching.

Indonesian law states that perpetrators of wildlife crimes face a maximum five year prison term and a fine of 5 million rupiah ($555), but the law is not always strictly enforced.

At least there were no flies in the salsa

Foodie news from the Kansas City Star…

A Shawnee woman pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to conspiring to serve poisoned salsa to diners in the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Lenexa.

Yini De La Torre, 19, admitted that while working as a waitress there she twice added a deadly pesticide to salsa, which sickened dozens of people.

She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to tamper with a consumer product and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a pending case against her husband, Arnoldo Bazan.

In her plea, prosecutors said, she said Bazan worked for the Mi Ranchito restaurant in Olathe until June 27, 2009. Bazan believed the chain’s owner was responsible for him losing his job and for the theft of Bazan’s vehicle, De La Torre said.

The couple poisoned the diners to get even with the owner, prosecutors said. They listed other evidence:

In July 2009, the owner reported to police that Bazan was stalking him and on Aug. 7 a message sent to the restaurant Web site threatened harm unless Bazan’s vehicle was returned.

On Aug. 11, the first poisoning with Methomyl happened during a lunch rush and sickened a dozen people.

On Aug. 28, Bazan sent word to the owner that “the worst is yet to come.” Two days later, about three dozen diners were poisoned, ranging from children to senior citizens.

While Lenexa police investigated, Bazan told his wife not to talk or she would be physically harmed. Samples from blood, urine and food confirmed the presence of Methomyl, a pesticide used for commercial fruit, vegetable and cotton crops that can be purchased and used only by certified professionals.

As a result of the poisonings, prosecutors said, all six Mi Ranchito restaurants lost income. Sales declined by about $250,000 for September and October at the restaurant in Lenexa.

De La Torre is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18. Bazan is still awaiting trial.

Wife calls 911 because hubby wouldn’t eat his dinner

Foodie news from the Houston Chronicle…

KERRVILLE — Prosecutors in Kerrville will review the case of a woman accused of calling 911 to complain that her husband refused to eat his dinner.

A police report says the 53-year-old woman at the scene was also yelling “about things that happened two weeks ago.”

A pair of 911 calls on Friday, including a hang-up and a woman heard screaming, led to police dispatched to the residence.

Officer Paul Gonzales says police were told by her that “her husband did not want to eat his supper.”

Police say the woman has called 911 about 30 times over six months for non-emergency reasons, such as she could not find her clothes. She now faces charges of 911 abuse.

Husband slaps wife with hamburger

More food news from NBC Miami…

Domestic violence is never, every funny, but it can be medium-rare: a 25-year-old Port St. Lucie man was arrested for allegedly rubbing a hamburger on his wife’s face during an argument.

Police say Daniel Boss and his wife got into it late Thursday night and started calling each other names. At some point, the woman apparently poured soda on Boss’ hamburger, causing him to grab the sandwich, rub it in her face and start throwing food.

Boss left, but his wife went to the police station to report the incident. Officers arrested him three hours later on a misdemeanor domestic battery charge, which we take to mean they arrived to view the scene before this guy got there.

It could not be determined if Boss had an attorney.

Man gets 18 months for stealing a hot dog

Courtesy of the AP and USA Today…

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts man who stole a hot dog from another man sitting under a tree in a park has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Antonio Judd pleaded guilty Monday in Worcester Central District Court to charges including larceny from a person, the Telegram & Gazette newspaper reported.

Police say Judd grabbed the hot dog in August after flashing what appeared to be a gun in Elm Park in Worcester.

Police reports say Judd began to devour the hot dog, spilling mustard all over his shirt. They say when he was arrested later he was carrying a pellet gun and a pocket knife.

Records show Judd has been sentenced to prison at least three times for offenses including assault and vandalism.