HOLMES BEACH – Roger the mannequin is back home in one piece, and his owner, Maggie Patall, is thrilled.
“He’s happy to be home with his community,” Patall said after Roger’s missing limbs were found and returned to her last week. “I’m so grateful to all my neighbors and friends for helping in the hunt for Roger. I’m sure that’s why I have him back!”
Roger went missing from Patall’s second-floor balcony on Thursday, Aug. 20, though the kidnapping – officially designated a theft – wasn’t noticed until Saturday. Patall’s friends, community members and local law enforcement all began searching for the missing mannequin and one priceless item that he was wearing when he disappeared – a tuxedo jacket that had been owned by Patall’s deceased husband.
Several social media posts, including one on the Nextdoor app, helped locate Roger’s head and torso, which were found on the beach on Friday, Aug. 21 and confiscated by a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy. Holmes Beach police officers took possession of the grisly finds as they continued the investigation into the crime.
Patall had almost given up hope that the rest of Roger and her husband’s tuxedo jacket would be found when Omar Padro reached out on Facebook, posting a photo of the mannequin’s arms, legs, sunglasses and tuxedo jacket, all of which he found the following Tuesday, dumped unceremoniously at a beach access in Holmes Beach.
Padro’s post made it to Patall’s friend, Melissa Rash, who helped him get Roger’s limbs and clothing back home to his owner.
Padro declined to be interviewed by The Sun but said he was glad to have been able to help bring Roger and his tuxedo home to Patall.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the overwhelming response from locals and tourists alike,” said Rash, who spearheaded the social media call to arms seeking information about Roger. “Our community is absolutely amazing and so supportive of our residents. Residents were scouring beach ends and digging through trash cans trying to locate Roger and the missing tuxedo.”
HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer cleaned up Roger’s torso and head and returned them to Patall, enabling her to put Roger back together again. She reported that Roger was relaxing in his favorite chair on her second-floor balcony overlooking Gulf Drive by Tuesday afternoon.
“We are very happy to be able to return Roger to his rightful place in Holmes Beach,” Tokajer said, adding that Patall was “ecstatic” to get both the mannequin and the tuxedo back. “We’re glad to have him back with Maggie where he belongs.”
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