A Utah man was arrested after he allegedly committed theft by mouse droppings — sort of.
According to Salt Lake City police, the 37-year-old man “used a scam” to defraud multiple businesses. According to a probable cause statement, the suspect admitted “introducing mice and hamsters into hotel rooms.” He would then “point out the feces” to hotel staff and “get free rooms based on complaints about the rooms being infested” with rodents.
Police contacted three hotels where this happened; two “gave the [suspect] compensation.” The hotels were also “forced to contact pest control to get rid of the pests.”
“This has likely occurred at many more hotels.”
The suspect was arrested for investigation of three misdemeanor counts of criminal mischief and two misdemeanor counts of theft by deception.