A Cape Cod resident was taken into custody after allegedly stripping naked inside a HomeGoods store and exposing himself to shoppers. Police later located him standing near the entrance of the neighboring Aldi, while his shoes and boxer briefs were observed near the HomeGoods entrance. Police say 43-year-old Billy Thomas offered officers an unusual explanation for his nakedness: he claimed his clothes and a bicycle he had been riding had started smoking.
According to Cape Coral Cops, officers responded to the HomeGoods on Del Prado Boulevard South around 10:45 a.m. Monday after callers reported a fully nude man walking through the store before he put his clothing back on. Officers ultimately located Thomas standing near the entrance of the neighboring Aldi, wearing a black tank top and colorful shorts, after witnesses at HomeGoods pointed police toward the store next door.
Near the HomeGoods entrance, police recovered a pair of white shoes and boxer briefs that Thomas admitted were his. He told officers his clothes and bicycle had started smoking, the same account cited by Boston's ROCK 92.9, which reported he said he stripped to protect himself. Responding officers, however, noted that no bicycle was found anywhere at the scene.
Shopper Says Thomas Approached Her Directly
A female shopper positively identified Thomas during a live police show-up, telling officers he approached her in a store aisle, said “I'm sorry, I have to do this,” and then dropped his pants to expose his sexual organs. A store employee also gave a statement confirming they had witnessed Thomas nude inside the store, per the same account from Cape Coral Cops.
Thomas was arrested and now faces a charge of indecent exposure. Under Florida Statute § 800.03, intentionally exposing sexual organs in a public place or on someone else's private property in a vulgar or indecent manner is classified as a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense, according to The 2026 Florida Statutes. Prosecutors must prove the exposure was performed with vulgar, lewd, or indecent intent rather than by accident.
Penalties Could Escalate Given Prior Arrests
A first-degree misdemeanor conviction for indecent exposure in Florida carries penalties of up to one year in county jail, one year of probation, and a maximum fine of $1,000, according to Hanlon Law. Convictions of this kind can also affect employment prospects and housing access because of public record availability. Under Florida sentencing law, a second or subsequent violation is a third-degree felony.
Boston's ROCK 92.9 reports that Thomas has 28 prior arrests in Lee County dating back to 2002. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, its annual state crime-data reports include county and municipal arrest reports. Those past arrests are not proof of guilt in this case, and the current charge remains a pending allegation.
Similar Incidents at Off-Price Retail Chains
Cape Coral is the largest city in Lee County, located on the Gulf Coast near Fort Myers, with a population estimated at more than 194,000 residents as of the 2020 U.S. Census, according to Wikipedia. Lee County is Florida's eighth-most populous county, spanning more than 1,200 square miles. HomeGoods operates as an off-price home fashions chain under The TJX Companies, Inc., a Massachusetts-based corporation that runs more than 5,200 retail locations globally under banners including T.J. Maxx and Marshalls, per TJX's own company information.
This is not the first time an off-price retailer tied to TJX has dealt with a public exposure incident this year. In Louisville T.J. Maxx exposure report, a man was accused of exposing himself twice at a Louisville T.J. Maxx. The incident was visible to shoppers.
