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Background: News footage of the porta potty where Joshua Mulnix hid (WBBH). Inset: Joshua Mulnix (Lee County Sheriff”s Office).
In a bizarre sequence of events unfolding in Florida, a man is accused of stealing a vehicle from a construction worker, attempting to run him over, and then seeking refuge in the most unusual of places—a portable toilet, where he reportedly removed his pants.
The suspect, 43-year-old Joshua Mulnix, was apprehended by the Sanibel Police Department on October 27 and is now out on bond. According to an arrest affidavit accessed by Law&Crime, the incident began when the police were alerted to a vehicle theft in Sanibel, a city located off the coast of Cape Coral. The call came in at 4:16 p.m., prompting officers to respond swiftly. Upon their arrival, they were met by a construction worker who recounted the peculiar series of events.
The worker described how Mulnix appeared from a nearby beach, clad solely in sweatpants, and proceeded to trespass onto private property. When confronted by the worker and asked to leave, Mulnix allegedly ignored the request and attempted to break into a shed on the premises. Although he failed in this endeavor, he soon noticed the worker’s white Nissan SUV, which was conveniently unlocked with the keys left inside.
Seizing the opportunity, Mulnix reportedly hopped into the driver’s seat, started the vehicle, and accelerated aggressively in the direction of the worker. Fortunately, the worker managed to evade harm by jumping out of the way. In a matter of moments, he watched as Mulnix sped off in the SUV, crashing through the property gate and heading towards the nearby area of Captiva.
Meanwhile, a separate but related call had been made to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office regarding a “suspicious male” who matched Mulnix’s description. The affidavit reveals that Mulnix, after abandoning the stolen Nissan on another property, attempted to hide by running into a nearby porta potty, where his peculiar decision to remove his pants added yet another layer to this strange saga.
Police said that the second caller told dispatchers that the man “appeared to be on drugs.”
When Mulnix emerged from the porta potty as law enforcement arrived, a deputy witnessed him “fleeing on foot” and “wielding two wooden stakes.” Mulnix, stakes still in hand and now without his pants, headed toward another vehicle, and the deputy subdued him with a taser.
The affidavit stated that a pair of gray sweatpants was found inside the porta potty that Mulnix was seen entering. His alleged outing in the construction worker’s Nissan is said to have caused around $4,000 in property damage.
Mulnix was taken into custody and then to a hospital. After being taken to Lee County Jail, he was charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and criminal mischief. He posted $7,500 bail on Nov. 4 and was released from custody. His arraignment is scheduled for Dec. 8.