Florida man with underwear around his neck accused of prowling in same yard as reported bonsai tree theft

CAPE CORAL, Fla. - A Florida man was arrested after he was caught lurking in a neighborhood with underwear around his neck in the same area where bonsai trees were reportedly stolen two weeks ago, according to officers. 

Troy Dean Stuart, 35, was arrested and charged with one count of loitering and prowling after the incident that unfolded just before 10 p.m. on Thursday in the 2000 block of Everest Parkway in Cape Coral, police said in a news release. 

Officers responded to a call from a neighbor who said a "prowler" was in their backyard near the dock, and they were spotted on the property's surveillance cameras. The man was seen wearing a gray hoodie, black shorts and a dark mask on his face as he hid behind a chair. The caller said the man came from a neighbor's backyard, deputies said. 

The man, identified as Stuart, was located in an empty lot on Everest Parkway, deputies said. He was lying on his stomach between bushes near the seawall. He was wearing the same outfit the caller described, except the mask on his face was actually revealed to be a dark navy pair of underwear around his neck, Cape Coral police said. 

Photo: Lee County Sheriffs Office

Stuart told officers he was wearing underwear around his neck to protect his face from the cold, adding that he was in the area to exercise. He said he liked the "aesthetic" of the area and wanted to avoid cars on the road. 

He also told officers he was confronted by two men and he ran away to hide from them. Officers spoke to the two men who confronted Stuart, who live nearby. One of them said he saw a man walking through his backyard, shouted and approached him. He even removed his hood to see who he was. 

The other man escorted Stuart to the front yard, and that's when he ran away, according to officers. 

Another neighbor told officers that they reported the theft of two bonsai trees on Jan. 6. These trees are valued at $7,000, officers said. 

"The suspect was seen on surveillance video on January 11th walking toward additional bonsai plants at the same address, then fleeing from the area as if he was spooked," the news release said. 

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When officers went to Stuart's residents, they found several bonsai plants in the front yard. They didn't match the exact description of the stolen plants, though, according to officers. Officers weren't able to look in the backyard, as there was a tall fence. 

"Stuart claimed to have no knowledge of the tree theft," officers said. 

The 35-year-old man from Cape Coral has since been released from jail after posting $150 bond, arrest records show. He's expected to appear in court on the morning of Jan. 30.