A Utah teen was arrested back in December for allegedly taping fish on various surfaces in Utah, according to multiple reports.
Police arrested a 17-year-old for allegedly taping fish to ATM machines around Orem and Provo, Utah, according to Fox 13. The teen, who remains unidentified, reportedly posted pictures and videos on Instagram of the alleged incidents.
The Provo Police Department alleged he taped numerous fish throughout the area from August to October, the outlet reported. While at first the prank seemed to be innocent, cleaning up the mess became costly, making it a criminal matter, local police informed the outlet
The videos posted on Instagram show numerous kinds of fish in various sizes taped to ATMs with what appears to be duct tape. A few posts show cigarettes placed in the fish’s mouth. The account has 55,000 followers and has posts ranging from Aug. 4, 2023, to Dec. 21, 2023.
View this post on Instagram
“Live, laugh, tape fish on ATMs,” the account’s bio says. “No fish were harmed in the process.” (RELATED: ‘Hold His Head Underwater’: Video Appears To Show Man Casually Stealing 50-Pound Live Fish From Bass Pro Shop).
One video on Instagram shows a fish taped to the back of a bathroom stall door. Another shows multiple fish taped to a police car with the caption, “We support our local PD.”
View this post on Instagram
“We’re going international,” a post from Nov. 3, 2023, reads. The video appears to show a fish taped to a Japanese ATM machine.
There were about 13 or 14 reports of these alleged incidents in the area, according to Fox 13. Only two of them were allegedly “serious enough” to press charges, the outlet reported. The teen was referred to juvenile court and charged with two misdemeanor counts for property damage, according to KSLTV.
Police believe the teen’s actions were intended as a joke, the outlet reported.