Max Headroom's Cousin

In August 2018 in the Grey Oaks subdivision of Glen Allen in Virginia .....

Max Headroom Has A Kindred Spirit In The USA

 .... found dozens of vintage box television sets sitting on their front porches. 

The TV's were vintage indeed, one for example was a Toshiba FST Black Stripe dated February 1986. No one knew where they came from, and indeed some people posted warnings on a community forum, suggesting that people shouldn't move them in to their houses, and that they were some sort of "Trojan horses" .... although for what, no one could say. 

Henrico police weren't sure there was even a crime even after they got numerous calls from recipients "It would be difficult to discuss criminal charges without knowing the intent for leaving them there." ... no arrests were made at the time.

But in August 2019, the same area was targetted again, if that's the correct term, and more than 60 old analogue TV's were deposited (or dumped), on porches throughout the same Glen Allen district.

TV Head Prankster Caught On Camera

One man caught the culprit on his home security camera and said "It was a guy dressed in a jumpsuit, with a TV for a head. It's the weirdest thing. He squats down, puts the TV there and walks off."

The Suspect Dubbed 'TV Head' Was Caught On Doorbell Cam's

Several other neighbours' doorbell cameras recorded the culprit(s), and the figure with a TV for a head .... a la Max Headroom. Henrico Police confirmed more than one person "wearing a mask resembling a television" dropped off the TVs to "the majority of homes throughout the community." This time they were treating it as a crime, and officers collected all the TVs that were reported. "Nobody should have to now go to the dump, pay the $3 and have to dispose of someone else’s garbage" a spokesman said.

But in September 2019, Henrico Police finally identified a possible suspect and search warrants were issued for an abandoned building in Goochland (which was scheduled to be demolished), and a TV drop-off at Deep Run High. More than half a dozen officers, including a detective searched both addresses, where 30 TVs had been stashed inside the old abandoned building. 

The warrants were for a 19-year-old suspect who was caught by Goochland deputies near a recently burglarized building. He could face three charges: dumping trash, trespassing, and felony wearing a mask in public if charges laid. It was believed that he with his sister were caught dropping TVs on the sidewalk of Deep Run High and spray-painting "Thenior" on them, which, she confessed to police, is ‘senior’ pronounced with a lisp. 

Despite this activity, as of May 2020, no one was were reported as being charged, and whether he or they were ever finally charged of any crime is unreported, which is a pity, as the motives for this are likely to be as strange as the story itself.