Naked man steals children's books from the Ypsilanti District Library, police say
Ypsilanti police say a library patron took off his clothes and exposed himself to an employee today before fleeing with children's books in hand.
The man hasn't been located by police.
The 58-year-old employee told police she was working in the Ypsilanti District Library in the 200 block of West Michigan Avenue at 10:30 a.m. and assisted a man in making book selections.
She returned to her desk and looked up to see the man step out from behind a bookcase, completely naked, a police press release said. The man "thrust his hips in the direction" of the woman, but didn't make any other movements toward her, the release said.
The employee went upstairs and called police. By the time officers got there, the man had fled through an emergency exit, taking his clothes and the children's books with him, the release said.
The man was described as black, 30-40 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 160 pounds and had a mustache. He was wearing a brown coat, blue jeans and a knit cap when he entered the library.
Anyone with information is asked to call Ypsilanti police at 734-483-9510.
Comments
Ashley Weigel
Mon, Mar 8, 2010 : 3:19 p.m.
Possibly the most bizarre news I've heard in a while...
alarictoo
Tue, Mar 2, 2010 : 1:44 p.m.
Are we sure it wasn't Tim Allen's "Never Stand Too Close to a Naked Man" that he grabbed?
Eye Nigh
Mon, Mar 1, 2010 : 9:12 a.m.
To say he had a mustache is redundant.
halflight
Sun, Feb 28, 2010 : 1:10 p.m.
@craig: My only point is that the only option we really seem to foster these days is to treat him as a criminal when possibly he's mentally ill. A person can be both mentally ill and a criminal. If the man had the capacity to understand the criminal nature of his act (as suggested by his running away), he's legally sane and criminally responsible, regardless of any underlying mental illness.
Craig Lounsbury
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 4:01 p.m.
@tdw "Craig could it be that this guy is just a plain old creep?" certainly it could be possible. My only point is that the only option we really seem to foster these days is to treat him as a criminal when possibly he's mentally ill.
annarborgirl77
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 2:24 p.m.
What some people will do to get a good book. Too much, way too much. I can see this one in court. Can you imagine being on a jury and listening to the details? Just trying to keep a straight face would be a struggle. Still cracking up....
paul reilly
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 9:26 a.m.
I only hope that the man didnt sit down before he grabbed his clothes and ran.
memyselfandi
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 1:40 a.m.
The first thought that came to my mind was that the library worker must have felt rather shocked and frightened...not necessarily because he was devoid of clothing, but because he was devoid of the mental capacity to keep his clothing on in the Public Library (additional proof established by nature of the fact that he, a grown man, had chosen children's books, perhaps indicating his reading ability corresponded with his functional mental/developmental stage). Sounds like a person with the body and physical needs of a grown man and the mental processes of a child. Men who commit such crimes have the desire to exert control over a woman. Their proof of succeeding in that control is the fact that they caused feelings of fear and shock to someone. They may not be quite so proud of themselves if they knew that the woman was not shocked at his lack of clothing...but was instead shocked at his obvious lack of mental capacity. Maybe he is homeless and could not get a library card because he did not have a permanent address to list....and felt that this was the only means available to him...shock the library worker and run with the books. I wish that the reporting of his physical description was more thorough...another little detail could have been added and used to publicly ridicule and humiliate him to an even greater degree...especially if someone had spotted him when he went outside in the cold weather. The weather probably had no effect on him because, as my mother always says, "No sense, No feeling".
memyselfandi
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 1:37 a.m.
Ok..no comment. I saved my comment and copied and pasted it....so I will re-submit..if it is a no show this time.....I will know that I somehow erred.
julieswhimsies
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 1:36 a.m.
Good grief. The depths to which humanity will sink...
memyselfandi
Sat, Feb 27, 2010 : 12:55 a.m.
I made a comment.....a rather long comment....but I can't find it. Did I violate a rule, if so how. If not, was it too long. Or, did it just not transmit properly. Just curious as to the reason for the absence of my commentary.
Chris 8 - YPSI PRIDE
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 10:06 p.m.
I made the comment that was removed. can you explain what was the cause for removal? I found it quite amusing that this man was seen naked in the library and was described as if he were running away with his clothes on?
Lisa Bashert
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 2:47 p.m.
For a dose or reality, men exposing themselves in libraries cannot be rare. It's happened to me twice. The sad thing is that so many men feel a need to expose themselves -- but since that is the case, I guess the library is as good a locale as any, with the quiet stacks, private corners, etc.
Jon Saalberg
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 2:40 p.m.
It would have been funnier if all he was wearing was an eye patch and a pirate hat.
A2lover
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 2:26 p.m.
Almost a complete description of the perpetrator, only one physical aspect missing, and, of course, the titles of the books.
tdw
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 2:02 p.m.
@Craig could it be that this guy is just a plain old creep?
DadooS
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 12:39 p.m.
Too bad. If only he'd waited until after he was elected to public office and had successfully served the powers that be, he could have had a tax subsidized library wing named after him honoring his extraordinary accomplishments to cause excitement about children's literature.
djm12652
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 11:06 a.m.
It's interesting reading....the comments...mostly funny. And mentally ill? duh...who in their right mind acts this way? And how long before this behavior escalates? Hope the cops can find this perv and get him off the streets.
RuralMom
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 10:48 a.m.
Maybe he was for the Show and Tell portion of the Sex Education Books?? That's all I can come up with for this one!
halflight
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 10:10 a.m.
Who needs to read Naked Lunch when you can get the real thing in the Ypsi library?
Awakened
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:55 a.m.
I remember when libraries were boring. Maybe this is an attempt to keep up with modern media.
Mumbambu, Esq.
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:47 a.m.
BOOKS- Check 'em out!
sheeple
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:36 a.m.
Curious George, indeed...
Sam Nead
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:32 a.m.
Sad thing is, this pervert could be a child predator and using these books to lure his next victim(s).
wendy
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 9:10 a.m.
I feel a Randy Newman song coming on...Beware, beware, beware of the naked man!
RoboLogic
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 8:42 a.m.
"What the hell is the world coming to?" - Jackie Gleason, as Sheriff Buford T. Justice.
RudeJude
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 8:38 a.m.
I'm confident there is a reasonable explanation as to why his clothes were removed. Maybe he misinterpreted library rules, or maybe the children's book was the Emperor's New Clothes and he was testing a theory out. He could have been a time-traveler...ever see the Terminator movies? (Your clothes don't travel back in time with you.) This guy could be a hero from the future for all we know. Lest we forget, innocent before proven guilty, people. Inocent before proven guilty.
Craig Lounsbury
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 6:59 a.m.
The old Ypsilanti State Hospital used to deal with people like this. Now we treat them as criminals when they may very well be mentally ill.
tracyann
Fri, Feb 26, 2010 : 6:45 a.m.
@ Captain Magnificent - I almost spit my oatmeal all over my computer screen! That was funny!
TruthInNews
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:59 p.m.
This sounds like the same guy from the law library! He strikes again!
bunnyabbot
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 10:43 p.m.
eeew....so he steals childrens books, but we don't know which ones, now he can be inappropriet with the books and drop them in the drop box and no one will know those books have cooties....this is one reason I don't read books from the library.
Captain Magnificent
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:54 p.m.
So what? Maybe he just forgot where he was- it happens to the best of us. I know how much I love to walk around my home thrusting my hips while carrying multiple children's books, and it's not that much of a stretch to think that I might someday get so engrossed in my reading that I would become disoriented and do the very same thing in a public library. Leave the poor hip thrusting children's book enthusiast alone and go after the real criminals.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:26 p.m.
i thought the same thing, maybe it should read, "He was wearing a brown coat, blue jeans and a knit cap, when he came in." my technical writing prof would've dinged me on that one. -dading!
belboz
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:13 p.m.
"He was wearing a brown coat, blue jeans and a knit cap." So, was he naked, or wasn't he???
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 8:04 p.m.
guess he didn't have a backpack to hide them in...
CountyKate
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 7:52 p.m.
I don't know, Tony. This kind of leaves one speechless. All I can think of is: "Was he crazy? It was cold outside." But, the crazy question is kind of moot, isn't it? Who in their right mind gets naked in a library?
Mike D.
Thu, Feb 25, 2010 : 7:40 p.m.
Tony, what could one say about this story that would be appropriate? I have nothing.