CAPE CORAL, FL – On January 11th, 2024, just before 10 PM, Cape Coral Police responded to a prowler report in the 2000 block of Everest Parkway. The caller reported a suspicious person in their backyard, also captured on surveillance footage. The individual was described as wearing a gray hoodie, black shorts, and a dark mask, seen hiding behind a chair and moving between properties.
Officers located the suspect, identified as Troy Dean Stuart, in an empty lot on Everest Parkway. He was found lying on his stomach near the seawall, dressed as described by the caller, with navy blue underwear around his neck. Stuart explained he was there to run along the canal for its scenery and to avoid traffic. He used the underwear as a face cover against the cold and claimed he hid after being confronted by two men.
Upon questioning, one of the two men who confronted Stuart reported seeing him walk through his backyard and managed to unmask him before Stuart fled. Another neighbor informed officers of a recent theft of two bonsai plants, valued at $7,000, from January 6th. Surveillance footage from January 11th showed a person resembling the suspect near more bonsai plants at the same address before running away.
Police visited Stuart’s residence on SW 8th Place, finding several bonsai plants that did not match the stolen ones. Due to a tall fence, officers couldn’t view the backyard. Stuart denied any knowledge of the tree theft. The investigation into the prowler incident and potential connection to the bonsai plant theft is ongoing.