Where's SpongeBob? Fast food restaurant reports cartoon caper
By the Associated Press
December 1, 2004, 4:43 PM EST
NORFOLK -- A 6-foot-tall version of SpongeBob SquarePants was last seen the day before Thanksgiving, waving from the roof of a Burger King and flashing a goofy, gap-toothed grin.
When the cartoon character turned up missing, a manager investigated and found evidence of the crime: the ropes holding down the inflatable cartoon character had been sliced.
Burger King officials said Sponge-nappings have become a national trend, with thefts reported in 10 states.
"And the number is going up every day," said a Burger King spokesman in New York.
So far, some of the characters have been returned, but some have turned up on eBay, selling for up to $1,000. After a SpongeBob was stolen from a Burger King in Little Falls, Minn., workers found a ransom note: "We have SpongeBob. Give us 10 crabby patties, fries, and milkshakes."
On Nov. 11, more than 4,700 SpongeBobs began going up on Burger Kings nationwide as part of a promotion tied to the SpongeBob movie. The company that provided the SpongeBobs says between 50 and 100 have been stolen so far
In St. Mary's County in Maryland, Steven Simon and his friend, Conrad "C.J." Mercure Jr., both 18, were arrested Friday and charged with misdemeanor theft of goods worth less than $500 for stealing a SpongeBob from a local Burger King.
Mercure and Simon had no car, so they called a cab--which had even police laughing. "They had to pay for three fares, not just two," said Cpl. John Shoemaker of the county sheriff's office.
Bill Cocimano, general manager of the Burger King, said he was initially angry when he found out that his restaurant's SpongeBob was stolen on Nov. 19.
But the next day, an employee told him that "somebody is running his mouth at Great Mills High School that he has SpongeBob in his bedroom. I told them, 'You get me a name, I'll give you 20 bucks."'
Within three hours, police had SpongeBob, Cocimano said. But Cocimano said that when he tried to restore SpongeBob to his perch Friday, the inflatable was too badly damaged to hold the air.
Simon and Mercure have a court appearance Dec. 15, authorities said. The offense is punishable by up to 18 months in jail and a $500 fine.
Information from: The Virginian-Pilot
THIS HAS TO STOP!!
CRIME in norfolk virginia! SQUAREPANTS!!!
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SouthernWx
Check out the front lawns and roofs of area high schools....that's where over the years, I've found missing Shoney's Big Boys, Ronald McDonald, stop signs, etc.
It seems to be a competition in suburban Atlanta....who can rip off the most bizarre stuff and put it on display at their HS. One morning in 1979, dad and I arrived at Walton HS (where we worked at the time) to find two Shoney Big Boys on the gym roof, along with a large dinosaur from a local putt-putt golf course, over a dozen traffic signs (stop, yield)....not to mention an entire string of ladies bras strung from the gym roof to the flagpole in front of the school (those kids in East Cobb were nuts!
It seems to be a competition in suburban Atlanta....who can rip off the most bizarre stuff and put it on display at their HS. One morning in 1979, dad and I arrived at Walton HS (where we worked at the time) to find two Shoney Big Boys on the gym roof, along with a large dinosaur from a local putt-putt golf course, over a dozen traffic signs (stop, yield)....not to mention an entire string of ladies bras strung from the gym roof to the flagpole in front of the school (those kids in East Cobb were nuts!
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Yankeegirl
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CaptinCrunch
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You too! Ashwaubenon, WI ... Sponge Bob is missing!!!
SpongeBob squarely in thieves’ sights
Giant fry cook ‘missing’ from Ashwaubenon Burger King, others
By Richard Ryman and The Associated Press
rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com
SpongeBob SquarePants is missing. Call that missing squared.
All over the country, the 9-foot-tall and 9-foot-wide inflatable yellow sponge is mysteriously disappearing from atop Burger King restaurants.
Evil Plankton is an obvious suspect in this whopper of a crime, but landlubbers are more likely to blame for a nationwide rash of SpongeBob-nappings. More than 50 have been reported from Florida to Utah since the pop icon started appearing on fast-food restaurant rooftops in a promotional tie-in with his movie released Nov. 11.
The Burger King on South Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon is among those who’ve found themselves short one giant, yellow fry cook. Jodi Mazola, assistant manager, said she checked the roof Wednesday after being asked if she knew where her SpongeBob was. She discovered she didn’t.
Neither Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s tight-fisted employer, nor Burger King Corp. have offered a reward for the missing Bikini Bottom invertebrates.
“We don’t have any theories. SpongeBob SquarePants is kind of a fad. It could be a childhood prank or an adult trying to get a fad item for Christmas,” Putnam, Fla., County sheriff’s Lt. Steve Rose said Wednesday. “If any leads come across, we will follow up in hopes of making an arrest.”
It doesn’t take Officer Nancy to know these days that the best place to start looking for missing things is on eBay, where the new movie star is selling for as much as $1,000.
As part of the promotion, 4,704 inflatable SpongeBobs, which weigh 50 pounds and are valued at $500, were ordered for restaurants nationwide. The animated movie and TV star is featured on Burger King children’s meals, watches and toys.
Miami-based Burger King Corp. has 7,956 stores in the United States, and about 7,000 participated in the promotion. Not all of them ordered balloons.
As of Wednesday night, the six other area Burger Kings owned by Valley King Inc., are not Bob-less. Valley King representatives chose to go the route of SpongeBob’s neighbor, Squidward, who prefers peace and quiet to SpongeBob-inspired mania, by declining to discuss their missing marketer. The national Burger King office took a similar tack, saying only, “At the moment, it is sort of a very amusing phenomenon. We hope it is just a prank, and the SpongeBobs come back.”
SpongeBob is all yellow and spongy like. He is known to hang out with a stubby pink starfish named Patrick. He lives in a pineapple under the sea; absorbent and yellow and porous is he.
He was last seen wearing — uh — square pants
SpongeBob squarely in thieves’ sights
Giant fry cook ‘missing’ from Ashwaubenon Burger King, others
By Richard Ryman and The Associated Press
rryman@greenbaypressgazette.com
SpongeBob SquarePants is missing. Call that missing squared.
All over the country, the 9-foot-tall and 9-foot-wide inflatable yellow sponge is mysteriously disappearing from atop Burger King restaurants.
Evil Plankton is an obvious suspect in this whopper of a crime, but landlubbers are more likely to blame for a nationwide rash of SpongeBob-nappings. More than 50 have been reported from Florida to Utah since the pop icon started appearing on fast-food restaurant rooftops in a promotional tie-in with his movie released Nov. 11.
The Burger King on South Oneida Street in Ashwaubenon is among those who’ve found themselves short one giant, yellow fry cook. Jodi Mazola, assistant manager, said she checked the roof Wednesday after being asked if she knew where her SpongeBob was. She discovered she didn’t.
Neither Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob’s tight-fisted employer, nor Burger King Corp. have offered a reward for the missing Bikini Bottom invertebrates.
“We don’t have any theories. SpongeBob SquarePants is kind of a fad. It could be a childhood prank or an adult trying to get a fad item for Christmas,” Putnam, Fla., County sheriff’s Lt. Steve Rose said Wednesday. “If any leads come across, we will follow up in hopes of making an arrest.”
It doesn’t take Officer Nancy to know these days that the best place to start looking for missing things is on eBay, where the new movie star is selling for as much as $1,000.
As part of the promotion, 4,704 inflatable SpongeBobs, which weigh 50 pounds and are valued at $500, were ordered for restaurants nationwide. The animated movie and TV star is featured on Burger King children’s meals, watches and toys.
Miami-based Burger King Corp. has 7,956 stores in the United States, and about 7,000 participated in the promotion. Not all of them ordered balloons.
As of Wednesday night, the six other area Burger Kings owned by Valley King Inc., are not Bob-less. Valley King representatives chose to go the route of SpongeBob’s neighbor, Squidward, who prefers peace and quiet to SpongeBob-inspired mania, by declining to discuss their missing marketer. The national Burger King office took a similar tack, saying only, “At the moment, it is sort of a very amusing phenomenon. We hope it is just a prank, and the SpongeBobs come back.”
SpongeBob is all yellow and spongy like. He is known to hang out with a stubby pink starfish named Patrick. He lives in a pineapple under the sea; absorbent and yellow and porous is he.
He was last seen wearing — uh — square pants
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TexasStooge
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quote:
"In St. Mary's County in Maryland, Steven Simon and his friend, Conrad "C.J." Mercure Jr., both 18, were arrested Friday and charged with misdemeanor theft of goods worth less than $500 for stealing a SpongeBob from a local Burger King.
Mercure and Simon had no car, so they called a cab--which had even police laughing. "They had to pay for three fares, not just two," said Cpl. John Shoemaker of the county sheriff's office. "
I can't stand it. That could be right out of a Sponge Bob episode.
"In St. Mary's County in Maryland, Steven Simon and his friend, Conrad "C.J." Mercure Jr., both 18, were arrested Friday and charged with misdemeanor theft of goods worth less than $500 for stealing a SpongeBob from a local Burger King.
Mercure and Simon had no car, so they called a cab--which had even police laughing. "They had to pay for three fares, not just two," said Cpl. John Shoemaker of the county sheriff's office. "
I can't stand it. That could be right out of a Sponge Bob episode.
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FWBHurricane
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