Mountain View thieves duck out with faux front yard fowl
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the foul-behaved people seen in a home surveillance video clip of the incident.
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Some slippery thieves made off with a large, yellow faux duck earlier this week, and police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the foul-behaved people who snatched the front yard waterfowl.
Around noon on March 11, Mountain View police said officers were called to a home in the 300 block of Stierlin Road to take a report about a stolen bright, monochromatic art piece reminiscent of classic rubber ducks often used as bathtub toys. The duck is affectionately named “Ruberta.”
In a home surveillance video clip shared by police, a trio can be seen walking up to the entryway, clipping a tie-down fastening Ruberta to the ground, and leaving quickly with the bird.
Fitting in with the times of the pandemic, the duck was adorned with a white face mask.
In the video, one person cuts a tie-down with what appear to be bolt-cutters, while another carries away the duck, while a third appears to film the whole incident on their phone.
“One of our officers noted the artistic piece is always a bright spot for kids to stop and admire when he would see families on neighborhood walks,” police said in a statement, “so this bird is certainly not just some poultry statue when it comes to how beloved it is!”
Police said anyone who recognizes the people who took the duck can email police@mountainview.gov.