As we look back on 2022, we have covered the most important news stories of 2022, the most popular news stories of 2022, and the year in photos. Now we turn to the strangest or oddest news stories of 2022.
If you’ve lived in Georgia for any amount of time, you know that there are certain things that could only happen in The Peach State. Below are some of the most bizarre, head-shaking stories of the past year. Enjoy!
These are presented in no particular order.
Invasion of the Giant Lizards
In April, giant lizards known as tegas lizards began making their way to South Georgia drawn by warmer temperatures.
The reptiles are the largest of all tegu species and can reach 4 feet long and weigh more than 10 pounds.
The species is not native to Georgia and poses a threat to Georgia’s native wildlife. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources asked residents to capture the lizards dead or alive.
Naked Georgia Man
Georgia Man and Florida Man may be frightening, but have you met Naked Georgia Man?
In May, a naked man attempted to attack a woman who was riding on a riding lawnmower.
According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, a 67-year-old woman was on a riding mower cutting her grass when the naked man tackled her off the lawnmower.
The woman’s 66-year-old husband attempted to pull the suspect off his wife but was also attacked by the man.
The naked attacker met his demise when the woman’s husband retrieved his gun from the home and shot the man.
Hopping Holdup
In February, a California woman who was upset about bank policies took matters into her own hands.
Police say the woman jumped over the counter at the Chase Bank on Buford Drive in Buford, stole $750, and threatened the clerk with scissors.
According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, Camell came into the bank for some routine business but shortly thereafter became irate with the bank teller.
When there were some discrepancies with her credentials, police say she jumped over the bank counter and opened the cash box. She picked up a pair of scissors lying nearby and held them toward the teller.
Hatchet Job
If you are being chased by police, it is probably best not to get out of your car and attack the patrol car with a hatchet that you conveniently have in your pickup truck.
In April, a Georgia deputy shot a North Carolina man who allegedly attacked his patrol car with a hatchet and broke the driver’s side glass while the deputy was still in the car.
See Ya Later, Alligator
A South Georgia family found an unexpected visitor in their garage one June morning, when an Alligator paid their home a visit.
The alligator was found near a truck in the family’s garage.
You can see a video of the alligator’s extraction from the home here. Go ahead, you know you want to click it. We’ll wait.
You Spent How Much Money on Room Service?!
An unknown woman ran up $8,603 worth of charges on a stolen credit card at a Tybee Island hotel in August, according to police.
While speaking with the manager police learned that in June, a woman booked a 17 day stay at the hotel, running up a bill in the amount of $8,603.55 in the process.
Almost a month later, the hotel received a chargeback for that amount from the credit card company, indicating that the card was used fraudulently.
The room was reserved under the name “Flower Priest.”
Do Your Research
In July, just after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a group of women upset about losing their abortion rights vandalized Ebenezer Baptist Church by spray painting the message “If Abortions aren’t safe neither are you.”
Astute readers will recognize that Ebenezer Baptist Church his the historic black church once pastored by Martin Luther King Jr. The church’s current pastor is Georgia Senator and Pro-Choice pastor, Raphael Warnock.
The FBI is offering a $10,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for the vandalism.
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