Report: 'Mystery Pooper' Unmasked, Ypsilanti Slides Now Feces-Free

YPSILANTI (WWJ) - Police in Ypsilanti said kids can go back to enjoying their neighborhood playground, now that the so-called "mystery pooper" has been identified.

After months of investigating, police were able to identify the individual believed to be responsible for defecating on slides in Prospect Park, according to a report by the Ann Arbor News.

Police made contact with the suspect and since then, the slides have been feces-free.

Council Member Pete Murdock, who is also head of the Friends of Prospect Park, told the Ann Arbor News that the suspect is a resident of a nearby halfway house. No charges have been brought in the case.

The investigation into the mystery pooper began last November, after police received multiple reports about the soiled slides. Police, city employees and volunteers kept an eye on the park, but the mystery pooper continued to strike.

In January, Police Chief Tony DeGiusti sent an email to officers, ordering them to "make frequent checks in the area and record them on your daily log."

"We have a problem in Prospect Park with a miscreant that does not understand the difference between a children's playground slide and a toilet," the chief wrote. "Apparently this extremely misguided individual feels the need to defecate on the slide despite the cold weather."

As the weather warmed up, investigators became increasingly concerned that the mystery pooper was still out there, continuing to leave his signature trademark behind. Cameras were installed in a nearby tree and several billboards popped up along I-94 in an effort to help catch the person responsible.
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Police didn't detail how the suspect was identified, but said they are confident the person responsible has been put out of commission, and that the slides will remain safe and sanitary.

The popular 9.5 acre Prospect Park sits near a school and features a basketball court, a tennis court being used as a skateboarding venue as well as a picnic area.