In May 2022, law enforcement in Geneva, Alabama, encountered a criminal case that stood out for its unusual sequence of events. According to the Geneva Police Department, a local man identified as Marcus Hubbard was accused of a residential burglary with a peculiar twist: he allegedly mowed the victim's lawn before stealing the equipment used to do it.
The incident, which gained significant attention on social media at the time, was captured on home surveillance footage. The video showed Hubbard entering the property, taking a lawnmower from a shed, and then proceeding to mow both the front and back yards of the residence. Only after completing the yard work did he reportedly attach a trailer to his bicycle and flee the scene with the stolen mower in tow.
Police officials noted that while the act of mowing the lawn might seem helpful, it did not negate the underlying crime of burglary. When the Geneva Police Department shared the story on their official Facebook page, they included the surveillance footage and asked for the public's help in locating the suspect. The post quickly went viral, with many commenters expressing confusion over the suspect's motivations for performing manual labor before committing the theft.
Hubbard was eventually charged with third-degree burglary. Authorities at the time suggested that the suspect might have been attempting to blend in or avoid suspicion by appearing to be a hired landscaper or a helpful neighbor. However, the homeowner had not authorized any work, and the removal of the property without consent led to the criminal charges.
This 2022 case remains a frequently cited example of "strange but true" crime stories. It highlights the role of modern surveillance technology in capturing unexpected behavior during criminal acts. While the victim ended up with a freshly cut lawn, the legal consequences for Hubbard were significant, as Alabama law treats residential burglary as a serious offense regardless of any unsolicited chores performed during the act.