‘Serial urinators’ who forced closure of I-80 rest stop arrested

Two people have been arrested in connection with a series of urine vandalism incidents that forced the closure of a rest stop in Nebraska.

Earlier this month, Timothy J. Welch, 37, and Victoria M. Gilbert, 29,  were arrested and charged with criminal mischief after investigators discovered that they had been reportedly urinating all over one the state’s busiest rest areas, causing so much damage that authorities had to close down the rest areas temporarily, according to the Nebraska Journal Star.

The investigation began shortly after December 26, which is when the first urine-related incident occurred at the westbound I-80 rest stop near York, Nebraska. Police say that someone had entered the women’s bathroom and blocked the sensors so that the toilets would not flush. The person then proceeded to urinate on walls, in the sinks, and on rolls of toilet paper.

The ‘serial urinator’ returned about 10 times in the next month until finally “it got so bad they decided to close down the westbound rest area while an attendant was not there,” said the York County Sheriff’s Office.

But the suspects simply moved over to the still-open eastbound I-80 rest stops and continued their bad bathroom behavior.

Finally, the Nebraska Department of Transportation decided to install security cameras in the facilities. After watching video footage of a man entering the rest area facilities on multiple nights when the vandalism occurred, a lieutenant recognized the man as Welch. Investigators also linked Welch to a vehicle in the rest area parking lot owned by Gilbert.

Authorities say that Gilbert would stay in the car in the parking lot and watch for vehicles so that she could warn Welch to hide if a woman entered the restroom at the rest stop.

On February 5, police obtained a search warrant for the couple’s home, found clothing matching that which had been spotted on the suspect on camera, and arrested both Gilbert and Welch. Gilbert has pled no contest. Welch will enter his plea of February 27.

Investigators say that the total cost of the couple’s urine-soaked caper was about $2,500.

C. Alex Hildebrand with the York County Sheriff’s Office says that no one knows why the couple peed all over the rest area night after night. “There was not any one good reason as to why they were doing it,” he said.