LAKE MARY, Fla. (CBS Tampa) — Residents of Lake Mary have been trying to solve the mystery of the “diaper bandit,” an anonymous party that is habitually disposing of used, unwrapped adult diapers on the community’s roadsides.

Several times a week, residents will find the diapers scattered on their curbs, sidewalks, lawns and driveways. Police have been following the situation for close to a year.

Local resident Linda Moss told WKMG-TV that she used to pick up the diapers herself in an effort to control the situation.

“They put them right in the street, and it’s really bad when it rains and the cars or the garbage trucks run over them – you’re not picking them up,” she told the station, adding that she now calls the police whenever they appear.

Officer Zachiary Hudson of the Lake Mary Police Department noted that, since these are adult diapers, the biohazard risk associated with the urine and fecal matter they hold is greater.

“As a person grows, so does their ability to contract different types of illnesses and diseases,” he told CBS Tampa.

Due to the nature of the crimes, Hudson said that the perpetrator would be fined for littering, though other charges may apply due to the increased health risk of improperly stored adult waste matter.

Hudson is eager to put an end to the dumping.

“It’s one thing for someone to put garbage bags on their car and forget about it … (but) this has gone well beyond that, I’m afraid,” he said. “Here in Lake Mary, we have a lot of pride in our city. Unfortunately, I think when you have someone who is dropping these things all over the place, it’s … rather malicious.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Hudson at 407-585-1305.
http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2011/10/07/“diaper-bandit”-leaves-mess-in-orlando-suburb/