Virginia home invader identified as wandering dirtbag

STAFFORD, Va., Monday — A North Stafford family’s early morning scare turned into a humorous misunderstanding after deputies responded to what was believed to be a burglary in progress, only to discover the culprit was a rogue robot vacuum cleaner.

The incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. when the family, startled by loud noises from the lower level of their home, locked themselves in their rooms and called 911 to report a possible intruder. Deputies from the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sergeants A.T. Leckemby and M.L. Jacobeen, and Deputy C.A. Osborne, swiftly responded to the high-priority call.

Upon arrival, deputies surrounded the home, checking the exterior, which they found to be completely secure. The Emergency Communications Center remained on the phone with the family as deputies prepared to enter the house.

Once inside, the source of the disturbance was quickly identified: a robot vacuum cleaner, known as a Roomba, had gone astray and was repeatedly bumping into the staircase. The vacuum, which had been moving around aimlessly, was mistaken for an intruder by the alarmed family.

“The dirt bag was prevented from making a clean getaway by the brave deputies,” the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office humorously noted in a social media post.

The incident, while initially stressful, ended with laughter as the deputies restored order to what they playfully dubbed a “vacuum violation.”

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