Chesapeake firefighters, from left, Robert Stewart, Maury Brickhouse, Matt Bunting and David Elliott display an inflatable version of the cartoon character SpongeBob that was found in a burning South Norfolk home.
CHESAPEAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Posted on 02/13/2005 5:57:27 AM PST by csvset
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Chesapeake firefighters, from left, Robert Stewart, Maury Brickhouse, Matt Bunting and David Elliott display an inflatable version of the cartoon character SpongeBob that was found in a burning South Norfolk home. CHESAPEAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT
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By CINDY CLAYTON, The Virginian-Pilot
© February 12, 2005 | Last updated 11:40 PM Feb. 11
CHESAPEAKE — The fire wasn’t set to cover up the sponge-napping.
And firefighters figure the giant, yellow square with the goofy smile likely was deflated before they pulled him from the burning South Norfolk home Friday.
What remains a mystery is why someone set the fire and left SpongeBob SquarePants inside.
Firefighters were called to the vacant home in the 2100 block of Spadina Ave. about 12:30 p.m. and quickly extinguished the flames, said Capt. Steve Johnson, fire spokesman.
Fire investigators are looking into the cause and culprit, but they don’t think the blaze was related to the theft, Johnson said.
SpongeBob is in the custody of police, who are looking for his owner.
The 8-foot-tall inflatable Nickelodeon character likely was stolen during a rash of SpongeBob thefts late last year.
Giant SpongeBobs, reported stolen in at least 10 states, were perched atop Burger Kings to promote a feature film with the character and the restaurants.
Two were reported stolen in South Hampton Roads.
The sponge that was taken from the Burger King at Towne Point Road and College Drive, off Interstate 664 in Suffolk later was returned by an anonymous man.
The man told the restaurant’s manager that he was returning the inflatable character on behalf of some high school students who had stolen it.
His daughter knew someone who was involved and didn’t want anyone to get in trouble, the manager said.
The owner of the restaurant gladly took SpongeBob back, and no charges were filed by police.
The man also turned down the Whopper-a-week reward that the owner had offered for the character’s safe return.
The fate of a sponge stolen from atop an Ocean View Burger King in Norfolk was less certain Friday.
That sponge was thought to have been stolen the day before Thanksgiving from the restaurant at 197 W. Ocean View Ave.
If that SpongeBob was returned, it hasn’t been reported to Norfolk police.
By now, he could be back in the sea with his pet snail, hanging out in his two-bedroom pineapple.
Reach Cindy Clayton at 222-5201 or cindy.clayton@pilotonline.com
How many times has the Krusty Krab been destroyed?
Now if it was Barney I could understand. I wanted to kill that damned purple dinosaur for years. But SpongeBob?
Break out the Jack for this one :-)
What a fag!
Sounds like cult activity.
"What a fag!"
Spongebob is not gay. I do think Squidward is at times, which makes me wonder why I chose that name for my title.
Well, he is inflatable, so I suppose he's been blown before. Rumor has it that Sandy Squirrel does it. Careful Bob, she's got a set of teeth on her.
Is Sandy Squirrel Spongebob's girl?
Come on over here and look at this...
So it's true! SpongeBob is flaming!
Oh please!
Squidward is just a confirmed bachelor ... nothing more :-)
That's absurd! He has a girlfriend, Sandy the squirrel.
:-)
She sure is.
Why do they assume this giant SpongeBob was stolen? Is it forbidden for citizens to own SpongeBob likenesses above a certain size?
I wonder if they found him in the "closet"
Chesapeake firefighters, from left, Robert Stewart, Maury Brickhouse, Matt Bunting and David Elliott escort Spongebob Squarepants from a burning South Norfolk home last evening. Spongebob was later charged with arson after admitting to torching the house during a long night of heavy drinking.
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