Man Steals Lawn Ornaments to Lift Loneliness

Lawn ornaments can be a charming addition to any front yard – and for one Japanese man, they also make great conversational partners.

Osamu Kimura, 52, is accused of stealing dozens of ceramic dogs, frogs, and raccoons in order to have someone to talk to after the death of his brother and father left him alone in the world.

The unemployed Kimura was caught in the yard of a 41-year-old homeowner in Toyohashi City at 11 pm last Wednesday, holding a ceramic garden frog.

The homeowner called police, who caught Kimura making off with a two-foot ceramic raccoon.

In a subsequent search, police found another 30 ceramic lawn raccoons, dogs, and frogs in the apartment where Kimura lived alone.

Kimura said that he had been stealing the ornaments for about a year.

(link)

By RMJ on 02-07-2009