A NJ Man Seeks Root Canal from Woman Advertising in a WhatsApp Group Text, Ends Up Regretting his Decision

A New Jersey woman was caught in February 2026 after allegedly practicing dentistry without a license.

Female dentist with patient; credit: SoyBreno on Unsplash

Investigation into a Fraudulent NJ Dentistry Practice

People reported that Ana Amato was arrested on Feb. 19 after a "months-long" investigation into her dentistry that began after charging a man $1,000 for a root canal. The man found her services from an ad on WhatsApp.

The South River Police Department Chief Mark Tinitigan said the following in a press release:

"This is certainly not the type of case we see every day, but it affirms our officers approach every call - routine or not - with the same level of professionalism and commitment to public safety."

Sgt. Peter Roselli and Officer Peter Szukics from the South River Police Department took a report, which first appeared to be a routine call. They quickly learned it was not a normal dispute between two people. 

During that call, the police officers discovered revealing information that Amato may have been performing dental procedures without a proper license.

Detective Patrick Molina then spent months looking into the incident, and the police determined that Ana Amato of Old Bridge was practicing dentistry without a license.

A Man Found out Mid-Root Canal She Would Not Finish the Procedure

After seeing an ad in a WhatsApp group chat, a man agreed to pay the unlicensed Amato $1,000, with a $300 down payment for a root canal. He went to her office on Sept. 22, 2025. She proceeded to inject his gums with an anesthetic and then began drilling into his affected tooth. Then, mid-session, she "abruptly" stopped and told the man to come back later in the week so she could finish the procedure.

Before he came back to her office for the remainder of the procedure, Amato allegedly told the man that she "wouldn't be able to do it and gave him a list of local dentists." At this point, the two "got into an altercation," because she would not return his down payment. 

He then took his complaint about the unlicensed Amato to the local police station.

The South River Police Department executed a search warrant at Ana Amato's office on Feb. 19, 2026, where she was arrested and items were seized for the investigation.

Amato was charged with second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree unlawful practice of dentistry, and third-degree financial facilitation of criminal activity.

Details of the Investigation can be read in the Facebook post below:

credit: South River Police Department

Sources:

Goldman, Jeff. "Fake dentist advertised on WhatsApp, tried to perform a root canal, court docs say." NJ.com. 2 March 2026.

Phillipp, Charlotte. "Woman Accused of Impersonating a Dentist After Starting a Root Canal on Patient." People.com. 8 March 2026.

South River Police Department on Facebook.

Iowa Woman was Found Inside the Walls of a Business After Officers Heard 'Whispering in the Wall'

On another bizarre episode of "World's Dumbest Criminals," a woman was caught by police hiding inside the walls of a Geneseo business and is now facing criminal charges.

Mugshot of Caleigh Gottsche; credit: 

Police Find a Woman Hiding in the Wall of a Geneseo Business

KWQC News reported that Caleigh Gottsche of Davenport was arrested by police after hearing whispering in the walls of a business in Geneseo, Illinois. 

A business owner on South State Street heard a "loud noise coming from the ceiling or attic area" around 5:30 p.m. and called 911. Police arrived and searched businesses nearby and that's when they heard whispering and movement behind the walls. They talked to Gottsche and were able to pinpoint her location.

Firefighters were able to pull her out of the wall safely.

Police believe she was working with two others, and are searching for them. Roads in the area were closed during the investigation. Police also discovered that they found damaged access points on the "shared roofs" of businesses at the location.

Local Businesses are Hurt by Theft

It’s striking how far some individuals will go to exploit honest businesses — in this case, one suspect actually hid inside the walls to gain unlawful access. According to the report, the suspect was discovered squeezed between interior walls of a commercial building, after first responders heard movement from the ceiling or attic areas.

This kind of bold intrusion demonstrates not only premeditation but also a willingness to put themselves in dangerous and conspicuous positions just to commit theft or damage. Businesses that operate under the assumption of standard break-in risks may be caught off guard when someone is literally inside the walls.

When you think about the impact on the business, this kind of crime goes well beyond just stolen goods or damaged property. The psychological effect on business owners and employees is severe — knowing someone managed to access hidden parts of your building unsettles the sense of security. Moreover, the cost often isn’t limited to items taken; it includes repair of walls, ceilings, rafters, roofs, and potentially shutting down operations while investigation or remediation occurs. In the cited case, multiple businesses at the location had damaged access points in their shared roofs, suggesting coordinated and extensive efforts.

This level of risk underscores how critical it is for businesses to not only secure visible entry points but also to be vigilant about unseen vulnerabilities and the lengths to which malicious actors will go.

Raging Pet Monkey Jumps on Oklahoma Woman in her Yard and 'Almost Rips Her Ear Off' in Traumatizing Experience

An Oklahoma woman was surprised to see a monkey outside her window on her front porch, trying to get into her house. The monkey was repeatedly pushing the button on her screen door until the button broke off, and she was trying to hold her door closed. When authorities arrived on the scene, she went outside and was attacked by her neighbor's pet monkey which almost "rips her ear off."

Image by Dmitriy Zub on Unsplash

A woman from Dickson, Oklahoma was traumatized by recent events involving her neighbor's pet monkey. She had never seen the monkey before it first appeared on her porch and the events that followed.

Brittany Parker: 'There's a Monkey on My Porch'

FOX 25 News reported that on Sunday, 12 March 2023, Brittany Parker was sitting inside her home in Dickson, Oklahoma when she noticed a monkey outside her window on her front porch. The monkey repeatedly pushed the button on her screen door until the button broke off. She was holding her screen door closed until authorities arrive on the scene.

Monkey on front porch; photo by Brittany Parker

Brittany told FOX 25 News what happened.

She said:

"I was sitting here in this exact spot and I looked out the window and there was a monkey looking at me," victim Brittany Parker said. "I took a second glance and said 'Oh my God! There is a monkey on the front porch.' The monkey was trying to get into my house," Parker said. "The little button that you push in on the screen door, he broke it off. I was literally hanging onto my door trying to hold it closed." -Brittany Parker, victim of monkey attack (Source: FOX 25 News)

Brittany Parker with bandage on ear; photo by FOX 25 News

After Dickson police arrive on the scene, Brittany went outside and was attacked by the monkey. It jumps on her back, viciously ripping out some of her hair, and almost ripped her ear off.

She said:

"He jumped up on my back and landed on my head," Parker said. "He started grabbing handfuls of hair and just ripped it out. He ripped my ear almost completely off of my head." -Brittany Parker, victim of monkey attack (Source: FOX 25 News)

Authorities searched the premises for the monkey.

New York Post reported that "the monkey belonged to an unidentified neighbor" and it "went missing for hours before a friend of Parker's reportedly shot it dead."

This is when Dickson Police on the scene searching for the monkey heard two gunshots and the monkey was killed.

They later found out that the monkey belonged to the neighbor.

After the traumatizing experience, she is now afraid to let her son play outside.

She said:

"My son loves to play outside," Parker said. "Do I let my child go outside and play? Do I worry every time we step outside if we are going to be attacked by something? It is very traumatizing. It is very scary." -Brittany Parker, victim of monkey attack (Source: FOX 25 News)

Brittany indicated that she will need plastic surgery to fix her ear.

Owning a Monkey is Not Illegal in Oklahoma

According to 1063theBuzz, it is not illegal to own a pet monkey in Oklahoma if a person has a wildlife license, which is $48. There are no specifically banned pets in Oklahoma if a person has a wildlife license.

Do you think it should be illegal to own certain animals as pets in Oklahoma?

Please share this article with friends and family on social media so they can be informed about this story.

Sources

Propper, David. "Monkey that nearly ripped off Oklahoma mom's ear seen charging at different homeowner." New York Post. 15 March 2023.

Smith, Sara. "'It was very traumatizing': Loose pet monkey attacks woman in Dickson." FOX 25 News. 13 March 2023.

Stryker. "Oklahoma Woman Has Ear Nearly Ripped Off by Neighbor's Pet Monkey." 1063theBuzz. 14 March 2023. 

Philadelphia Police Department used 'Fantasyland' Coordinates for Years until Discovered; Now they use 'Atlantic Ocean'

For over 10 years, the Philadelphia Police Department logged the coordinates for crimes "without an exact location" to Disney World. It continued unchecked for years until a news investigation questioned the practice. They decided it would be a better practice to log these crimes into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as is the practice of other police precincts.

An on-duty police officer; credit: Martin Jernberg

The practice of repeatedly doing something over and over again the same way incorrectly “because that’s how we’ve always done it” is now biting the Philadelphia Police Department.

An investigative report by NBC 10 Philadelphia found that Philadelphia Police Department continued to report “location-less” crimes incorrectly for over 10 years until an investigative report prompted them to change this practice.

The Washington Post also reported on this story.

For the Philadelphia Police Department crimes without a precise GPS location, police officers were using the coordinates of “Fantasyland,” a specific area within Disney World, which is located in Florida. (Source: The Washington Times)

This type of GPS reporting was inaccurate for crimes without a specific location. The NBC 10 Philadelphia investigative team looked into this. They wanted to know why Philadelphia crimes were being reported to Fantasyland. This uncovered how long this practice has been going on within the department and prompted a change in this practice.

What Happened When Philadelphia Police Did Not Have a Precise Location?

In general, when a police officer submits a police report, they also log the GPS coordinates where the crime took place. This allows crime analysts to map out the crime data and compile statistics. It started to raise questions about why Philadelphia crimes were being reported in Disney World, a theme park in Florida.

NBC 10 Philadelphia reported:

“For more than a decade, if Philadelphia police officers made a typo or were unable to record a precise location for a crime committed in the city, the department would mark the incident with GPS coordinates inside Disney World in Florida. Specifically, the area behind Cinderella’s Castle known as ‘Fantasyland’ became the default location for inaccurate crime data.”

(Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

What is more mind-boggling is there was not any other location found inside the Philadelphia city limits with more crime than the crimes logged at Disney World, which shows how common this practice was within the police department.

According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, “over the past six years, more than 5,000 crimes — including 16 arsons, 50 homicides, and 298 auto thefts — were plotted to Disney World.”

It is obviously clear that Philadelphia crimes were not taking place in Disney World, and the GPS coordinates for the crimes should not have been reported in this manner.

The reason it was done this way, was all about the statistics.

Done This Way So it ‘Wouldn’t Skew’ the Philadelphia Crime Statistics

When NBC 10 Philadelphia news investigators brought this issue to the Philadelphia Police Department, their director of research and analysis, Kevin Thomas began to look into it, as he was “unaware” of this practice at the time he was first asked.

After looking into it, “he asked others in the department who said the choice to map certain crimes to Disney World was made more than ten years ago” and he added, “In no way was this meant to be in any way humorous.” (Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

The reason: They chose Disney World so these crimes without a location so would not affect Philadelphia crime statistics.

“It was just an innocuous location chosen within the U.S. that would obviously not have anything to do with Philadelphia whatsoever.” -Kevin Thomas, Philadelphia Police Dept. direct of research and analysis (Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

Philadelphia’s Police Reported Location-less Crime Against Industry Standards

Business Insider interviewed an expert, Christopher Herrmann, a former crime analyst supervisor from the New York Police Department.

“The practice of using a fake location for unknowns not only creates a false record, but having that option also creates an environment in which officers don’t feel they have to put in the extra effort to accurately map the incidents” -Chris Herrmann, a former crime analyst supervisor from the New York Police Department (Source: Business Insider)

According to Herrmann, “police departments should be able to accurately map at least 95% of crimes. At some departments that have been crime mapping for a long time, like the NYPD, the data can be over 99% accurate.” (Source: Business Insider)

For crimes with unknown locations, Herrmann says that it is a better practice to GPS log the crime somewhere that is clearly not the location of the crime — like the middle of the Atlantic Ocean — and not at Disney World or even the police headquarters.” (Source: Business Insider)

A Philadelphia Family Hurt by this Practice

One prime example of how this practice hurt a family is when Shineka Crawford lost her son in a shooting on the streets of Philadelphia. She found her son in the street on the 1700 block of 68th Avenue in West Oak Lane.

However, the Philadelphia Police Department marked the GPS location as Disney World.

(Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

“I can’t get that picture out of my head. The pain never goes away, and never gets better. It’s hurtful. He got murdered on the street in Philadelphia.” -Shineka Crawford (Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

Is this a Resolution or a Band-Aid to a Problem that Needs to be Corrected?

It should be noted that after NBC 10 Philadelphia investigated this story, the Philadelphia Police Department changed its policy, and "will now plot inaccurate crimes in the Atlantic Ocean." (Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia)

Perhaps an even better solution is for the crime reporting software to have an "exact location unknown" option so police departments do not have to inaccurately attribute crime to places it didn’t happen (including the Atlantic Ocean). The crime reporting software needs an update, so police officers don't continually have to find a workaround.

Sources

Freeman, Danny. “For Years, Philly Police Dumped Crime Data at Disney World.” NBC 10 Philadelphia. Published September 22, 2022. Updated on September 23, 2022

Matthews, Brad. “Philadelphia police logged crime data at Disney World for years.” The Washington Times. 24 September 2022.

Orecchio-Egresitz, Haven. “How Disney World’s Fantasyland was turned into an apparent crime hotspot by Philly police.” Business Insider. 23 September 2022.

Beyoncé VMA Performance vs. Rudy Giuliani on Fox & Friends

Beyonce at 2016 MTV VMA Awards

Beyoncé performed at the 2016 VMA Awards. She had controversial undertones in her performance, with dancers circling around her, and one by one fell to the ground as red lights pulsated beneath them. People analyzing this say that this performance represents police brutality in the U.S. However, the Black Lives Matter movement is making the race problem worse in America. The attack in Akron, Ohio is just one example of how it has gotten out of hand. Read about it here.

Rudy Giuliani on Fox & Friends

Rudy Giuliani was not amused on Fox & Friends. He said this of the video clip of the Beyoncé performance:
"You're asking the wrong person...because I have fun uncles who were police officers, two cousins who were, one who died in the line of duty. I ran the largest and best police department in the world: The New York City Police Department, and I save more black lives than any of those people you saw on stage by reducing crime and particularly homicide by 75% of which, may four or five thousand were African-American young people who are alive today because of the policies I put in effect that weren't in effect for 35 years."
Read more about the Rudy Giuliani response in this eonline.com article.

Wiz Khalifa Tweets about being Handcuffed for Riding a Hoverboard in LAX Airport

Wiz Khalifa on a hoverboard

Great Scott!! The future is here, according to the movie, Back to the Future. Hoverboards are real, and already getting people into trouble with the law.

Wiz Khalifa Handcuffed, Accused of Resisting Arrest at LAX airport

Police officers handcuffed rapper Wiz Khalifa on Saturday August 22, 2015 after he refused to get off of his hoverboard. Yes, he was riding a hoverboard in the LAX airport. Police officers then proceeded to handcuff Wiz Khalifa after he refused to disembark from his hoverboard, telling him to stop resisting. He responded by saying "I'm not resisting."

He then keeps the online world informed with the following tweets.

Wiz Khalifa Tweets about Police Brutality following Hoverboard Incident

On 08/22/15 at 6:44 p.m. Wiz Khalifa tweets, "Haven't been slammed and cuffed in a while. That was fun." He was obviously being sarcastic about being fun, but still making the public aware that police brutality and excessive force is a real problem in society today.

Wiz Khalifa Tweet #1 on 08/22/15

His next tweet (below) was a picture of himself being held to the ground by LAX airport police officers accompanied by the words, "They love sayin stop resisting."

Wiz Khalifa Tweet #2 on 08/22/15

His third tweet (below) was a video of himself at LAX airport talking to the police officers. The tweet read, "All because I didn't want to ditch the technogy [sic] everyone will be using in the next 6 months. Do what you want kids."

Discussion of Wiz Khalifa Hoverboard LAX Airport Incident

After reading Wiz Khalifa's tweets about the incident, what do you think happened?

Do you think that police officers should have been nicer to rapper Wiz Khalifa after he refused to get off of his hoverboard in LAX airport?

Do you think that Wiz Khalifa was resisting arrest by refusing to get off of his hoverboard?

Leave your thoughts below in the comments section

Amanda Bynes is in a Psychiatric Unit for Mental Evaluation

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes, former child star of the 90's Television show, "All That" on Nickelodeon, has some mental issues. She has been photographed most recently in public in her blue wig. This attempt to disguise herself actually draws more attention than helping her blend in.

On Monday, July 22, 2013, Amanda Bynes set a small fire on her own pant leg in a driveway in a residential area of Thousand Oaks, CA. A scared witness called 911 when they saw her with a small gas can and was worried that Amanda's little escapade would end in Kaboom!

She was detained by Ventura County sheriff's deputies and taken in on a '5150' charge which is grounds for a mental evaluation based on the behavior of the suspect.

For Amanda Bynes, it meant "take this girl to the psych unit immediately."

Thousand Oaks, CA is where Amanda Bynes grew up.

Amanda Bynes Mental Health is Deteriorating

Officials felt that Amanda Bynes was a danger to herself or to others, and that her state of mental health was in question. Many indicators have been seen in the past few months, such as wearing a blue wig to a court appearance, being kicked out of hotels for smoking marijuana, and accused of throwing a bong out of her New York apartment window in May 2013.

Yep, drugs will do that to you.

Amanda Bynes will be held in the Psychiatric unit for 72 hours for evaluation, after being taken in on a 5150 charge. She was in Roosevelt Hospital for a mental evaluation as recently as May 2013, after her marijuana incident.

Has Amanda Bynes Gone Off the Deep End?

Amanda Bynes has been in the news lately as she has called numerous celebrities "ugly" (including the Obama's), and even called a hotel check-in woman ugly, and recommended her plastic surgery to her, making her cry. Amanda Bynes was then kicked out of the Ritz Carlton in New York with a $2,000 room service bill for inappropriate behavior. She allegedly placed 40 different $60-70 orders to accumulate such a bill.

Amanda Bynes revealed in June 2013 that she had more plastic surgery done to remove "webbing" from between her eyes. She plans on having additional surgery on the bridge of her nose, because those first few plastic surgeries just didn't do it.

Amanda Bynes in Trouble with the Law...Again

• On March 7, 2012, Amanda Bynes was stopped by L.A. Police after talking on her cellphone while driving. 
• On April 6, 2012, Amanda Bynes was charges with driving under the influence. She was caught after she side-swiped a police car in West Hollywood, CA. She was released without having to post her $5,000 bail.
• On Sept. 4, 2012, Amanda Bynes was charges with two counts of misdemeanor hit-and-run. She reached a court settlement on this.
• On May 9, 2013, Amanda Bynes pleaded no contest to driving with a suspended license.
• On May 23, 2013, Amanda Bynes was caught by Manhattan police from a call about a marijuana smell in the lobby. She was charges with tampering with evidence, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of marijuana. She was then taken to Roosevelt Hospital for a mental evaluation.

Did You Know?

Did you know that Britney Spears was also taken in on a 5150 charge in 2008? Her close friends and family were concerned about her state of affairs, which led to her own father taking control of Britney's estate via a conservatorship agreement.

Amanda Bynes parents are also seeking a conservatorship, much like the route that Britney Spears's father took. Under this conservatorship, Amanda's everyday decisions regarding where she lives, her personal finances, and her health care decisions would be controlled by her parents.

Update: On 07/25/13, a judge extended Amanda Bynes stay in the Psychiatric hold for up to two weeks.

Update: (08/02/13) Amanda Bynes most recent appeal to leave the mental hospital has been denied, while she continues undergoing mental evaluation.

Amanda Bynes in the courtroom in a wig late July 2013.

Amanda Bynes is Engaged

Is Amanda Bynes engaged?

Amanda Bynes what photographed on Friday, October 3, 2014 in New York City, with a bandage on her face, a cigarette, and an engagement ring on her finger. Yahoo! News speculated that this could be in violation of her three-year probation for a 2012 DUI.

Who is Amanda Bynes engaged to?

That answer is not yet available. Stay tuned.

Opening image credit: Flickr Creative Commons; Amanda Bynes by digitalshay