Suspect steals inflatable from outside Valley business
PHOENIX - A veteran and his wife became victims of a 'puppet-napping' when an unknown suspect snatched an inflatable from outside their business in broad daylight.
It's no mystery why Bob and Charlotte Conover's business Eludesions Escape Room is so popular. They're funny, charming, and together make the most adorable couple ever, plus their escape rooms are mind-bending.
What is left to the imagination is why someone would steal their inflatable dancing man.
"I walked over there and put some stuff away and I come back out here to ask the manager a question and I step outside and I'm like 'where the heck is our blowie guy?' he was gone," said Charlotte Conover, Co-Owner of Eludesions Escape Room.
Gone but not without a trace as the Conover's have cameras all over and could clearly see a driver with a Lyft sticker snatch their precious, 2-day-old inflatable.
"And the sad part was that when the little inflatable thing when you look at the video you can see him just like being dragged with his arms so I almost got a little emotional," said Bob Conover, Co-Owner of Eludesions Escape Room.
Not relevant to the theft, but important to understand for context, is that Bob is a 23-year Air Force veteran and started this business with his wife simply to show people the time of their lives.
"Love it, love to make them laugh, make them think, make them just come out and work together, that's the biggest thing you know, team building," said Bob.
Even though the Conover's have a great sense of humor about the nature of the theft, it's never okay to steal someone else's property.
"To some people, it's just a blowup puppet, but for us, that's an advertising tool that's a money source and that's money that we spent and it's just a shame that somebody would do that," said Charlotte.
Especially since now, Bob's gotta pick up the slack.
"The worst part is now I gotta go out there and do it, so I mean hours all day I'm going to be out there, you gotta go all the way down and then all the way up," said Bob.
Bob and Charlotte are so cool about the situation that they're even offering the suspect and their friends a free experience in their escape rooms if the inflatable is returned unharmed.