The story of the “Piggyback Bandit” is more than a little creepy, but also somewhat “touching,” in a creepy sort of way. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, so we’ll take it ‘back’ to the beginning.
Sherwin Shayegan of Bothell, Washington, is a 28-year-old man who likes to attend high school sporting events and jump on students’ backs for an impromptu piggyback ride. Students and staff report that Shayegan is a stocky man who seems to be a little slow, occasionally playing a Special Ed student as a trick to ingratiate himself to the student athletes. Shayegan’s plan of attack tends to include showing up to sporting events (usually basketball games) and helping out by laying out jerseys, filling water bottles, etc. People then think that he is a friend of a student from another school, and no one pays much attention. That is, until the game ends, and he lurches his 240-pound body onto the back of an unsuspecting teen athlete.
Shayegan has been caught stealing piggyback rides from students not only in Washington, but also Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, and Minnesota. He has been banned from attending sporting events in most of these states, had to pay large fines, and been threatened with jail time, all to no avail. In addition to his creepy piggyback fetish, Shayegan also has 16 warrants out for his arrest in Washington state, and police are out in full force attempting to track him down. Police and school officials are worried that Shayegan’s behavior has become increasingly aggressive in the last few months. It has been asked that anyone who sees Sherwin Shayegan call 911 immediately.
If police are unable to track down Shayegan, will the local high school band together and hire a private investigator in Washington? This is the type of situation where private investigators thrive, because they are able to access a huge number of tools and resources, and don’t have to worry about jurisdictional lines or obtaining warrants. Whether it is the police or a local PI, someone needs to find Sherwin Shayegan, before he creeps out any more young, impressionable students.
To read more about the Piggyback Bandit and see the video that caught him in the act, view the full article here.
