An award-winning ice cream parlor in Camarillo, California, is seeking public assistance after a barefoot thief was caught on surveillance video stealing a life-size cardboard cutout of Taylor Swift on Monday evening, July 29th, 2026.

Mister Softee, the Southern California ice cream shop, announced the theft in a Facebook post, stating, "It is with a heavy heart that we share that our Taylor Swift standee has been stolen from our Camarillo store."

The stolen cutout was part of a limited-time promotion for the shop's new "Swiftie Swirl" dessert, introduced following reports that a Mister Softee truck appeared at the wedding festivities of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. The promotion featured vanilla soft serve blended with cookie dough and chocolate dip to create chocolate chips, topped with mini M&M's, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. Customers were also invited to "grab a selfie with our Taylor standee."

Surveillance footage shared by Mister Softee shows the barefoot suspect, wearing a white T-shirt, black joggers, and a black baseball cap, entering the store at approximately 8:21 p.m. The individual briefly looked around before picking up the Taylor Swift cutout near the entrance and carrying it out the front door without interacting with anyone.

An additional angle from the shop's cameras, obtained by the New York Post, shows the suspect earlier visiting the store with a group of friends around 8 p.m., where they appeared to enjoy ice cream before leaving.

Despite the theft, Mister Softee assured customers that the Swiftie Swirl dessert remains available in Ventura and Camarillo this week.

The surveillance video quickly drew attention online, with social media users dubbing the suspect the "Barefoot Bandit."

Sources