Overview
- A Stoneham resident found a large, creepy animatronic puppet on a lawn and turned it in to the Stoneham Police Department.
- Officers posted a photo and a request on Facebook to identify the figure, and the post spread widely among local users.
- Commenters quickly linked the puppet to Spirit Halloween’s 7-foot “Bobby Strings” animatronic, prompting the owner to contact police.
- Police said the owner had recently tried to throw the decoration away and that someone may have retrieved it from the trash and left it on a neighbor’s lawn.
- Reporters noted visible alterations—scratched or missing eyes and different feet—which leave open whether the figure is an altered retail unit or a replica, and the department is keeping it while awaiting the owner’s formal instructions.