Man Castrates Beer-Drinking Goat Mayor

— -- L A J I T A S, Texas — He really got their goat, police say.

Jim Bob Hargrove stands accused of attacking and castrating Clay Henry III, the horned, cloven-hoofed mayor of the small West Texas town of Lajitas.

But Hargrove is charged with animal cruelty, not attempted murder, because Clay Henry is a goat.

The mid-sized gray farm animal was elected mayor in 2000, following local tradition. Mayors Clay Henry I and Clay Henry Jr. were also goats. They each achieved fame primarily for drinking beer.

The office doesn't come with any legal powers, local officials note, but the mayor does get his share of free beer from admiring townspeople and visitors.

Police say Hargrove attacked Clay Henry III because he became jealous when he saw the mayor drinking a beer on Sunday, when the region's blue laws prevented alcohol sales.

"He kept saying, 'You know I oughtta go castrate that goat,'" Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson said, relating eyewitness accounts.

"And the next morning the goat was found lying with its testicles cut off."

Hargrove was charged with felony animal cruelty, and faces trial later this month.

Clay Henry made a full recovery after local ranchers sutured his wounds.

"He's doing fine," Dodson said. "He's still drinking beer."

Bad Call

A K R O N, Ohio — Jim Martin called police to ask for help. He got a half-hour lecture instead.

Martin phoned Akron authorities Aug. 1, asking to speak with a supervisor about a complaint regarding gang activity.

"The call-taker unfortunately — instead of allowing him to speak to a radio room supervisor immediately — basically got into a discussion," said Lt. Sylvia Trundle, a department spokeswoman.

"Unfortunately it just got into a discussion of very many issues, none of which were appropriate."

Martin had met with police earlier that day to discuss gang and drug activity in his neighborhood. He called back and asked for a supervisor in order to find out why no arrests had been made.

The dispatcher who answered the call refused to transfer him. A tape of the call released to the media shows how the conversation went.

"Your life is not in danger if you are behind a locked door. You are an adult, correct?" the dispatcher said, after Martin said he had received threats.

"What do you mean my life is not in danger?" Martin asked "These people —"

"Are you an adult?" the dispatcher asked.

"Let me explain," Martin answered.

"No, let me explain something to you. Are you an adult?"

The discussion continued to deteriorate.

"Now, you be quiet and listen to me," the dispatcher said. "If you don't lower your voice, I'm going to disconnect this line."

"If you feel that your family is in that much danger, go stay in a hotel tonight," the dispatcher said. "You can contact the prosecutor's office tomorrow."

Since the call, police say they've visited the area repeatedly and are trying to address Martin's concerns.

The dispatcher — whose name was not released — has been disciplined, Trundle said, and would be given additional training.

"We'll definitely be tracking her performance in the future."

Suspect Leaves Mug Shot at the Scene

S I L V E R S P R I N G, Md. — Maybe he should have focused on the negative.

A single gunman robbed a camera store in the Lockwood neighborhood of Silver Spring, Md., last Saturday, police say, but the man left a key piece of evidence behind.

"He came in the store about 5:50 p.m. and asked to have a photo taken for his passport," said police spokeswoman Nancy Nickerson. "When the clerk opened the register, he displayed a black handgun and demanded money from the register."

The man grabbed the passport photo and took off.

"What he left behind was the negative to the photograph, which we have since processed and passed out," she said. The image features the alleged robber staring straight at the camera, wearing a black T-shirt.

Police gave the photo to media outlets and Crime Solvers is offering a reward for the man's capture.

"We're asking anyone who might recognize him to give us a call," Nickerson said.

Crime Blotter, a weekly feature of ABCNEWS.com, is compiled by Oliver Libaw.