angelophile | Apr. 5th, 2006

Five teenaged girls could be facing charges after authorities say they tried to play a real-life version of the Super Mario Bros. video game, leaving 17 suspicious packages throughout an Ohio town.

According to a report published in the Akron Beacon Journal, the teens were trying to play a real-life version of the Nintendo game "Super Mario Bros." which they learned about on the internet.

Police received reports of the first suspicious package early on Friday, when a passerby flagged down a police officer regarding a strange box on the steps of a church. The box was wrapped in gold paper and had black question marks painted on the sides.

HAZMAT crews and the local bomb squad were called out to investigate the package, which turned out to be empty.

Authorities say at the same time agents were dealing with the first box, more calls came in to the Ravenna Police Department that similar packages were being found in various locations.

The Beacon Journal reports one of the girls went to police claiming responsibility for the packages, saying they were a joke.

A police official quoted in the story says the girls were playing a game they learned about online.

However one website with instructions on how to make the blocks, refers to the incident saying it's not a "game" but rather a "comment on public spaces being routinely used for advertising." To visit this site, click here.

Authorities say the girls could face criminal charges for their actions.

http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=60745