The Chatham County police department is searching for a man who they claim used a rubber duck to engage in “infatuated” behavior inside a stranger’s hot tub, spending over ten minutes in close interaction with the toy, before taking $1,200 worth of pool towels and leaving the scene on a bicycle. Surveillance video documents the incident, which carries a strong sense of disgust.
The suspect is wanted for trespassing onto the homeowner’s property in the 9000 block of Whitefield Avenue. He used the family’s hot tub, became obsessed with their rubber duck, and fled with several luxury beach towels, according to the Chatham County Police Department. Police described the man’s actions as having “a lot of ick-factor.”
The Trespassing Timeline
Surveillance video from the home shows the man trespassing between 2:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. on September 1. The footage captures him swimming in the pool before hopping into the hot tub, where he became “infatuated” with a rubber duck and was seen “intensely interacting” with the toy, according to police.
“While in the hot tub, the man is caught on video becoming infatuated with a rubber duck. The video shows the man spending more than 10 minutes intensely interacting with the duck,” police wrote.
The police declined to elaborate on the specific acts carried out by the infatuated man against the duck. In the grainy, black-and-white still from the security footage, the suspect can be seen holding the duck close to his face, although it remains uncertain precisely what he is doing. The video does not show the nature of the interaction beyond the intense focus on the toy.
The Stolen Towels
The individual departed the residence by bicycle, taking several high-end beach towels with him as he went. The total value of those items amounted to $1,200. According to police, the six towels, each worth $200, were captured on surveillance video inside the basket beneath the bicycle.
Stolen towels add a layer of insult to injury beyond the rubber duck. The towel theft elevates the offense from something trivial to something far more bothersome. The homeowner lost $1,200 in luxury beach towels to a stranger who entered their property in the middle of the night.
Why the Case Matters
Police said they want to find the man so he doesn’t do this to someone else. The department noted that this is not the biggest crime they’ve dealt with this month, but it has a lot of ick-factor.
“He trespassed onto their property, used their hot tub, became obsessed with their rubber duck, then stole their pool towels. It’s obviously not the biggest crime we’ve dealt with this month, but it has a lot of ick-factor. So, we’d like to find this guy so he doesn’t do this to someone else,” police wrote.
The case matters because it involves a stranger invading a private home, using its amenities, and then stealing from it. The combination of the trespass, the hot tub use, the obsession with the rubber duck, and the theft makes this a particularly unusual incident.
The Ick-Factor
This is an odd situation. Someone entering another person’s property after dark, soaking in a stranger’s hot tub, staring at a rubber duck, and walking off with towels is the sort of tale that stays with you.
The police department’s own description of the case shows how strange the situation is. They did not make light of the incident or dismiss it as a small problem. Instead, they treated it as a serious matter, though it may not be the most significant crime they’ve handled this month.
The Search for the Suspect
Police have made the photos of the suspect public and are now asking members of the community to come forward with any information they might have about the case or if they recognize the man pictured. Anyone with details is being told to get in touch with police.
No name has yet emerged for the person under suspicion. Only the grainy images from security cameras have been made public by law enforcement. The investigation continues, with officers still following up on promising lines of inquiry.
Related Cases Around the Country
Other strange occurrences have been reported in recent months, and this case bears some resemblance to them. One involved a Florida man who pleaded guilty to charges after having a sexual encounter with a vacuum cleaner near Disney World, according to a separate report. Another concerned a Lake Tahoe squatter caught on camera while trespassing at a rich-and-famous mountain retreat.
These cases share a common thread:
- Private property used by strangers
- Unusual behavior captured on video
- Sometimes a dash of criminal activity
The Bigger Picture
The homeowner’s loss of $1,200 in towels is real. The police department’s desire to prevent this from happening again speaks to a broader concern about public safety and the dignity of private life.
Police urge anyone holding information to come forward, saying they want to close the file on this odd incident and bring the matter to an end.
This case serves as a reminder that no one, not even someone who spends ten minutes in a hot tub with a toy, is exempt from the law.
See the video the story is built around at Foxnews.
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