SAVANNAH, GA — Police in Georgia are asking for help identifying a man accused of trespassing at a home, using the pool and hot tub, and leaving with about $1,200 worth of beach towels. The unusual case gained attention after surveillance video showed him spending several minutes in the hot tub, where investigators say he became fixated on a rubber duck.
The Chatham County Police Department said the man entered the property on Sept. 1 during the overnight hours and later left on a bicycle. Detectives say the footage gives them a clear look at his movements, and they want to speak with anyone who recognizes him or knows where he may be.
Surveillance video shows a late-night visit to the backyard pool area
According to police, the man was on the property sometime between 2:15 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. That window is based on surveillance video that captured him swimming in the pool before getting into the hot tub.
Once in the hot tub, investigators say, he remained there for more than 10 minutes. During that time, the department said he appeared to be “intensely interacting” with a rubber duck, a detail that police highlighted in their public request for help.
The encounter was strange enough that the department joked in a Facebook post that it was not the biggest crime it had handled recently, but it carried a strong “ick-factor.”
Police say luxury beach towels were taken before he left
Investigators said the property owner later reported that numerous luxury beach towels were missing. Police put the value of the towels at $1,200.
After the time in the backyard, the man was seen leaving the area on a bicycle, according to the department. Police have not said whether the towels were recovered.
The department’s account connects the trespass, the pool use and the theft into one sequence of events, and detectives are now working to identify the person seen in the video.
Why investigators want the public to recognize the man
The Chatham County Police Department made the case public because it wants to prevent a similar episode from happening again. In its post, the department said it wanted to find the man so he would not do the same thing to someone else.
Officials did not release a name, but they said the video could help someone in the community recognize him. The department’s message suggests investigators believe the footage shows enough detail for a possible identification.
Police are treating the matter as a trespass and theft investigation, with the rubber duck interaction drawing attention because of how unusual it appeared on camera.
How tips can be submitted anonymously to Chatham County police
Authorities asked anyone with information to contact them as soon as possible. The department said anonymous tips can be submitted through its app or through its online tip form.
Police also pointed to Crime Stoppers at 912-234-2020. Tipsters who use that line remain anonymous and may qualify for a cash reward, according to the department.
Investigators did not say when they expect to identify a suspect, but they made clear that the surveillance video is central to the case and that public help could speed things up.
A bizarre case that mixes trespass, theft and an odd hot tub moment
Cases involving backyard thefts and trespassing are not rare, but police say this one stands out because of what happened in the hot tub. The combination of a late-night break-in, a swim, a long stop with a rubber duck and the theft of towels has made the incident easy to remember.
For investigators, though, the unusual details do not change the basic allegations. The man is accused of entering private property without permission, using the pool and hot tub, taking towels and leaving by bicycle.
That is why police are urging anyone who can identify the man to come forward, even if they only recognize part of his appearance or know something about where he went afterward.
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