By Ellis Dusk | TACOMA, Wash.
TACOMA, Wash. — A weeks-long mystery involving garbage containers being moved outside several homes in a residential neighborhood in Tacoma has been resolved after residents reviewed footage from a neighborhood security camera.
The unusual activity was first noticed in late October, when homeowners began finding their garbage bins several feet from where they had placed them the previous evening.
Initially, residents attributed the changes to routine sanitation operations. But after comparing collection schedules and speaking with neighbors, several homeowners realized the containers were being moved hours before garbage trucks arrived.
One resident reported finding his bin directly in front of his mailbox despite having left it beside his driveway the night before.
Similar incidents were subsequently reported at other properties along the same street.
Although the containers were never taken and no property damage was reported, the repeated disturbances prompted residents to review footage from their home security systems.
The recordings showed that the activity generally occurred between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m., when most of the neighborhood was still asleep.
Early footage offered few clues. Several cameras faced individual driveways rather than the street, while others failed to capture movement beyond the range of their motion sensors.
Residents initially suspected that a sanitation employee might have been repositioning containers ahead of scheduled collections. Others suggested a neighborhood maintenance worker or a resident attempting to keep the street clear.
The issue eventually reached a neighborhood group chat, where homeowners began sharing photographs, comparing timestamps and documenting additional incidents.
Despite the growing attention, residents said they had little reason to believe the activity was malicious.
The breakthrough came Tuesday morning, when a homeowner reviewed footage from a camera that had recently been adjusted to record continuously overnight.
The recording showed an individual moving along the street shortly before 5 a.m., stopping at several properties and repositioning garbage containers near the curb.
At each home, the individual appeared to inspect the placement of the bins before moving to the next driveway.
The footage provided the first unobstructed view of the person responsible, allowing residents to establish that the incidents were connected.
The individual was identified as Bigfoot, who had recently taken a part-time position assisting with early-morning sanitation duties after concluding that the rising cost of living in western Washington had made it impossible to survive on a single income.
Asked why he preferred working before sunrise, Bigfoot said he had spent decades avoiding human civilization and wasn’t about to destroy his reputation over a $19-an-hour job.
About the writer
Ellis Dusk covers u.s. & unusual affairs for The Tea Bag Times. Meet our newsroom.
