• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Subscribe
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Leadership
    • Understanding the boundaries of professional relationships with the...
      Why you should lead from 30,000 feet
      Public perception and trust
      When performance reviews are a waste of time
      Taking a page from Toyota’s playbook
  • Topics
    • Leadership
      • Understanding the boundaries of professional relationships with the...
        Why you should lead from 30,000 feet
        Public perception and trust
        When performance reviews are a waste of time
        Taking a page from Toyota’s playbook
    • Editor’s Picks
      • Liability challenges in contemporary policing
        When performance reviews are a waste of time
        Proactive wellness visits
        Taking a page from Toyota’s playbook
        Law enforcement’s missing weapon
    • On the Job
      • Villains and heroes in the Big Apple
        Right place, right time — again
        Some good news on crime
        Mom-to-be named Cop of the Year
        Fatherly instincts save boy from icy water
    • Labor
      • The Promise Gap
        Cut the cops, save a dollar?
        Labor release under fire
        Who’s watching the watchmen?
        Crime and punishment (or lack thereof) in Seattle
    • Tech
      • New Mexico license plate readers save lives, lead to “precise...
        A modern field guide to understanding research in policing
        Gear that moves with you
        A new breed of cop car
        The future of patrol is here
    • Training
      • The five minutes before the ambulance
        Navigating danger
        Critical thinking in police training
        Threshold neuroscience
        Integrated virtual reality training
    • Policy
      • Corruption, collusion and impunity
        E-bikes spark public safety concerns
        Try racing without wheels
        Law enforcement accreditation: Why it matters
        Liability challenges in contemporary policing
    • Health/Wellness
      • Addressing stress, vicarious trauma and burnout
        Nervous system regulation
        The nature of the job
        Promoting organizational wellness
        Telling cops to get more sleep isn’t working
    • Community
      • Improving autism awareness
        Shop with a Cop
        Community engagement: What is it moving forward?
        Contradictory crossroads
        Back-to-school season brings out police support nationwide
    • Offbeat
      • An unexpected burglar
        Police humor only a cop would understand
        Not eggzactly a perfect heist
        Pizza … with a side of alligator?
        Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
    • We Remember
      • Heroes of the World Trade Center
        Forty heroes: United Airlines Flight 93
        The Pentagon
        A nation propelled to war, lives changed forever
        A Christmas loss
    • HOT Mail
      • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • On the Job
    • Villains and heroes in the Big Apple
      Right place, right time — again
      Some good news on crime
      Mom-to-be named Cop of the Year
      Fatherly instincts save boy from icy water
  • Labor
    • The Promise Gap
      Cut the cops, save a dollar?
      Labor release under fire
      Who’s watching the watchmen?
      Crime and punishment (or lack thereof) in Seattle
  • Tech
    • New Mexico license plate readers save lives, lead to “precise...
      A modern field guide to understanding research in policing
      Gear that moves with you
      A new breed of cop car
      The future of patrol is here
  • Training
    • The five minutes before the ambulance
      Navigating danger
      Critical thinking in police training
      Threshold neuroscience
      Integrated virtual reality training
  • Policy
    • Corruption, collusion and impunity
      E-bikes spark public safety concerns
      Try racing without wheels
      Law enforcement accreditation: Why it matters
      Liability challenges in contemporary policing
  • Health/Wellness
    • Addressing stress, vicarious trauma and burnout
      Nervous system regulation
      The nature of the job
      Promoting organizational wellness
      Telling cops to get more sleep isn’t working
  • Community
    • Improving autism awareness
      Shop with a Cop
      Community engagement: What is it moving forward?
      Contradictory crossroads
      Back-to-school season brings out police support nationwide
  • Offbeat
    • An unexpected burglar
      Police humor only a cop would understand
      Not eggzactly a perfect heist
      Pizza … with a side of alligator?
      Wisconsin man charged with impersonating Border Patrol agent twice in...
  • We Remember
    • Heroes of the World Trade Center
      Forty heroes: United Airlines Flight 93
      The Pentagon
      A nation propelled to war, lives changed forever
      A Christmas loss
  • HOT Mail
    • The War on Cops Continues Unabated
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
Search

Offbeat

Texas man steals Halloween skeleton decoration zip-tied to a chair

APB Team Published November 1, 2022 @ 7:00 pm PDT

iStock.com/BackyardProduction

A Texas man made no bones about his desire to steal a Halloween decoration from an Austin residence recently.

The thief was caught on a Ring doorbell camera in broad daylight pulling up to a home in a black truck, walking right up to the front porch and taking a skeleton that was zip-tied to a rocking chair. He then loaded the decoration into his truck and drove off with an accomplice in the passenger’s seat.

The owner of the skeleton told FOX 7 Austin that he had zip-tied the skeleton to deter thieves, but didn’t think anyone would steal the chair as well.

The homeowner said the skeleton and the rocking chair cost about $250. He filed a police report with the Austin Police Department and is asking for the public’s help to identify the suspect or the truck.

The theft of the Halloween skeleton is not the first to take place in the Austin area this season.

Earlier this month, a 14-foot skeleton decoration was also stolen from a front lawn. The act was similarly captured on a Ring camera; footage showed a woman dismantling the skeleton and driving away with it in her white SUV.

The trend is not confined to Texas.

Another case of Halloween décor theft took place in Tucson, Arizona, where it was reported that two men stole a family’s Halloween decorations that were worth $200.

The thieves made off with three inflatable Halloween decorations that were held down with metal ties.

The Tucson Police Department advised putting inflatables on the roof or within a fenced yard to deter burglars. They also suggested placing motion-sensor lights or security cameras to scare thieves away.

Categories: Offbeat Tags: Texas, skeleton, holiday, theft, Halloween decoration, Ring camera, Tucson, spooky, Law Enforcement, Austin

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Heroes of the World Trade Center
  • The Promise Gap
  • Corruption, collusion and impunity
  • The five minutes before the ambulance
  • New Mexico license plate readers save lives, lead to “precise policing”
  • Addressing stress, vicarious trauma and burnout
  • Understanding the boundaries of professional relationships with the boss
  • E-bikes spark public safety concerns
  • Improving autism awareness
  • Cut the cops, save a dollar?

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com | (800) 234-0056.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

Liability challenges in contemporary policing

Liability challenges in contemporary policing

February 27, 2026

When performance reviews are a waste of time

When performance reviews are a waste of time

February 26, 2026

Proactive wellness visits

Proactive wellness visits

February 25, 2026

Taking a page from Toyota’s playbook

Taking a page from Toyota’s playbook

February 23, 2026

Policies | Consent Preferences | Copyright © 2026 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close

Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.