Naked man arrested in Harvard restroom

By HILLARY CHABOT
CHRONICLE STAFF

A Harvard Kennedy School employee encountered an unwanted guest last Friday when he opened a restroom door and found a naked 59-year-old man there who was smearing the walls with feces.

The employee, who found the man around 1 p.m. on Friday afternoon, promptly turned around, left the restroom and called Harvard Police. Police arrested Caroll W. Toohey, 59, of 29 Concord Ave., and charged him with indecent exposure and trespassing, said Harvard Police spokesman Steve Catalano.

" The presence of a naked man smearing feces on the wall is a big concern for us, " Catalano said of Harvard’s response to the trespasser.

Toohey was found in the Taubman Center’s restroom, a building of the Kennedy School on Eliot Street. When found, Toohey was completely naked, standing near the sink and smearing the wall with feces, Catalano said. Toohey had his clothes with him in a pile on the floor.

When Harvard Police arrived, Toohey had gotten dressed and was walking down the hallway toward the elevator. Toohey, who had feces on his shoes and clothes, walked by officers who were speaking to the employee about the man.

Officers stopped Toohey, questioned him, and arrested him shortly after. Toohey told officers that he had an accident while in the restroom, Catalano said. The fact that the feces was smeared on the walls near the sink, and that Toohey was found naked outside of the stalls, led police to believe it was not an accident.

" The act was serious enough to warrant an arrest, " Catalano said.

Toohey was arraigned on Monday, Catalano said.

[From Town Online, 15 May 2002]