Man Arrested Outside The Boca Raton After Emerging From Water, Climbing On Vehicle

Samuel Bickham (Photo: Palm Beach County Jail)

A local man was arrested after police said he swam in the Intracoastal Waterway, emerged wet and disoriented near The Boca Raton resort and allegedly climbed onto a vehicle in the parking garage, causing more than $1,000 in damage.

Officers responded about 10:16 a.m. July 27 to a disturbance at 900 S. Ocean Blvd., the address of the portion of The Boca Raton on the barrier island. Dispatch reported a white male subject was naked in the parking garage, screaming and causing a disturbance, the report states. Police identified the suspect as Samuel Bickham, 42, of Fort Lauderdale,

Upon arrival, officers made contact with the man later identified as Bickham. He was in what police described as a manic state, wearing black underwear and sweating profusely. Bickham was wet and had small cuts on his feet after swimming in the Intracoastal Waterway, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Palm Beach County circuit court. He was also allegedly making incoherent statements regarding demons. Boca Raton Fire Rescue provided medical attention and transported him to Boca Raton Regional Hospital for further evaluation.

A person who had arrived early for work and was sitting in her car in the parking lot told police that Bickham came out of the water and walked toward the vehicle. The person locked the doors before Bickham allegedly attempted to open the rear passenger door. Bickham then jumped on the rear trunk of the car and onto the roof, causing damage while the occupant remained inside, the report said. He continued sitting on the front of the hood until law enforcement and fire rescue arrived, according to the affidavit.

The Boca Raton resort on the barrier island, Boca Raton, Fla. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

An independent witness who works as a valet at the hotel reported seeing the same man around 8:05 a.m. looking disoriented and speaking “in a language the witness did not understand,” the report said. The witness said Bickham stumbled through the bushes, soaking wet, after coming from the ICW and was allegedly observed urinating on himself. The witness further stated that Bickham attempted to open the front and rear passenger doors of a silver car while someone was inside, then jumped onto the hood, crawled across the top of the vehicle and rolled down the rear, leaving a large dent in the roof.

Police charged Bickham with felony criminal mischief and burglary of an occupied conveyance. He was later released from the Palm Beach County Jail on a combined $7,000 bond for the two charges.