A pickpocket apparently squirted fake bird droppings on people as a ruse to steal their belongings, Lincoln police said.
At 2:10 p.m. Sunday, police said, a man was exiting the Russ’s Market at 66th and O Streets when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned around and a man told him that he had “bird poop” on him.
The shopper said his pants felt wet, and the other man was wiping them off with one hand while his other hand was on his shoulder. The man later discovered that his chain necklace was missing.
On Sunday evening, two people who left the Hy-Vee grocery store at 50th and O Streets an hour apart reported that they felt a slimy substance on their heads.
The first, a man who exited the store at 5:30 p.m., told police he felt something land on his head and thought it was bird droppings. A man came rushing up and helped wipe the substance off his head with a paper towel.
The man who had been “helped” later realized that his wallet was gone. He also discovered that his credit cards had been used at various stores.
About 6:30 p.m., a woman left the Hy-Vee and felt something hit her head. A man approached, told her that it was bird poop and began wiping her neck.
The woman became suspicious because the slime was green and smelled of vinegar, and the man was attempting to take her necklace. She told the man to stop and said she didn’t need his help.
Lincoln police still are looking for the thief. The two people at Hy-Vee described him as a Middle Eastern man in his 30s who is 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds and was wearing camouflage pants or shorts. They both said the man spoke in broken English.
The man whose necklace was stolen at Russ’s Market said he thought the thief was Hispanic. He, too, said the man spoke in broken English.
