'Shultzy' The AutoMower Returns Home After Brief Disappearance

ARLINGTON, VA — Though not a tale of high crimes and misdemeanors, the brief disappearance Tuesday morning of "Shultzy" the robotic AutoMower caused a degree of excitement for one Maywood family.

Around 9:25 a.m., a man in a Jeep absconded with Shultzy, which is what the Gelson family has dubbed the AutoMower that trims their lawn.

Tom and Chrissi Gelson's Nest camera captured the whole incident on video and their daughter, who was walking the dog at the time, took a photo of the Jeep's license plate as the vehicle drove away.

"We are assuming he thought it was trash as it was near trash barrels at the time," Tom Gelson said, on a neighborhood listserv. "We have filed a police report but hoping just a big mistake by him."

A few hours later, ACPD had recovered the AutoMower unharmed.

"They were excellent in response and getting 'Schultzy,' a Husqvarna AutoMower, back home safely," Tom Gelson said, in an email. ACPD told him the man had thought the Husqvarna AutoMower was trash.

Usually, after Shultzy finishes cutting the grass, he heads back to his charging station, but for some reason on Tuesday he stopped next to the family's garbage barrels.

Tom Gelson guessed that Shultzy had gotten stuck in a divot made by the workers who are building an addition to the Gelson home.

Since it was an honest mistake, the family decided not to press charges.