Nanny State Law Nabs Another Actual Criminal

Yes, we get it — Laws banning cigarette smoking and texting-while-driving are here for our own safety, but in the past week both have managed to bring down a couple of actual criminals and not just recklessly inconsiderate members of society. Yesterday we saw Alameda County's cigarette smoking ban bring down a murder suspect. Today we learn that California's ban on texting-while-driving has led to an arrest in a case of grand theft auto earlier this week.

According to the Examiner, the swervy driver was spotted staring down at his lap "as if he was on an electronic device," near 30th and Mission Streets in Bernal Heights. As cops pulled the driver over in to a gas station parking lot and ran the plates, the car turned out to be stolen. The thief apparently took off while cops were checking the registration, but he was arrested nearby after officers found him hiding under a staircase.

Previously: Murder Suspect Busted For Smoking A Cigarette
[SFEx]