HENRICO, Va. – Henrico Police are hoping more victims can step forward and shed light on an odd rash of shoe thefts taking place in the Monument Avenue corridor since early Sept.
Police began receiving reports from women whose shoes had been removed from their porches overnight. There were four documented incidents, but police believe there are more victims, possibly in other jurisdictions. The reported crimes occurred near the Monument and Horsepen area, all the way down to the city line.
The missing shoes were returned to the porches within a few days, with something extra in them that police are calling “biological evidence.”
Henrico Police confirmed the unwanted substance is not fecal in nature.
"We had an incident where one house had the same thing happen twice," Lt. Eley said, "and that's when we started looking more seriously."
A suspect has been identified in the incidents and charges are pending at this time, police said.
"He's obviously got a weird fetish," said Tyler Monroe, who lives in an area where the crimes were reported. He said emails have been distributed amongst neighbors, warning of the incidents. "I guess she'll take them inside now," he said of his wife's shoes.
During the investigation, the Henrico County Police obtained information which leads them to believe there are potentially more victims related to these incidents.
Police are asking for the public's assistance identifying and locating more potential victims of these incidents.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact Detective Duane Stone at (804) 501-7176 or Henrico Police at (804) 501-5000.
