A routine call to an animal control officer in Sonoma County took an unexpected turn when a baby otter turned out to be something else entirely. The wayward little creature, mistaken for an otter, was actually a lost baby mink.

A Sonoma couple lost $28,000 in a “courier scam” that demanded cash withdrawals under false pretenses. Now, county authorities warn that the elderly are particularly vulnerable, though a recent arrest offers a glimmer of hope.