The Lee County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year-old Troy Stuart after allegedly being caught prowling near where two bonsai trees worth $7,000 were stolen days earlier. Stuart was wearing underwear around his neck which served as a face mask. (Lee County Sheriff’s Office)
Cops found a Florida man wearing a pair of underwear around his neck prowling near where two bonsai trees worth $7,000 were stolen days earlier, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
A resident in the 2000 block of Everest Parkway in Cape Coral called 911 around 10 p.m. on Jan. 11 to say they saw someone hiding behind a chair in their backyard near their dock on the Caloosahatchee River. He was wearing a gray hoodie, black shorts and a dark mask. When cops arrived they found him lying on his stomach between a tall hedge and thick brush near the sea wall.
The man was wearing the gray hoodie and black shorts the neighbors described, the press release said. He also had on a pair of dark navy blue underwear around his neck that he apparently was using as a face mask, according to cops.
The man was identified as 35-year-old Troy Dean Stuart. He told cops he was exercising in the area because of “its aesthetics and to avoid cars on the road.” He claimed the underwear around his neck was to protect his face from the cold.
Neighbors told the cops they saw Stuart in their backyards and yelled at him to get off their property. Another neighbor said they reported someone stole two bonsai trees worth $7,000 on Jan. 6. Stuart was allegedly seen on camera walking toward more bonsai trees the day he was arrested.
Cops found several of the same type of plants at Stuart’s home but they were not the ones stolen, the press release stated. They also weren’t able to see in the backyard due to a very tall fence. Stuart claimed he didn’t steal any plants. Deputies arrested Stuart on a loitering and prowling charge and took him to the Lee County Jail. Stuart has since posted a $150 bond.
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