A drunken woman became a little too playful and a little too rough with a blowup mattress mascot last week in Durango, according to police.
The 41-year-old Durango woman was cited for harassment after pushing the Mattress Outlet mascot near 14th Street and Main Avenue on Sept. 27, causing the employee to fall onto his back, said Cmdr. Deck Shaline with the Durango Police Department.
The employee, who was not injured, was wearing an inflatable mattress costume, the kind that has a small fan inside to keep the costume puffy, said Tucker Fincher, manager of Mattress Outlet in Durango.
The employee set out to advertise in front of the business, but within two minutes he was attacked, Fincher said.
“He went outside and there was a drunk lady that basically started attacking him and trying to tip him over and hitting him and stuff,” Fincher said. “ … She was drunk out of her mind. She was trying to kick him over and get him on the ground.”
Police said the spirited woman was initially “playful” and “hugging” the costumed employee. But she then became “aggressive” and “profane.” She began pushing the employee and trying to trip him, Shaline said.
After the employee had fallen backward, the woman stood over him and yelled profanities, Shaline said.
“The employee went back inside the business, and with the assistance of another employee held the doors of the business closed as (the woman) was trying to get inside,” Shaline said in an email to The Durango Herald.
Fincher said his bewildered employee returned to the store with his suit unzipped.
“He was like, ‘Dude, this lady’s attacking me,’” Fincher said.
After attacking the mascot, the woman banged on the doors of the business, screamed at the employees and threw a sandwich board to the ground, he said.
“I just put my foot in front of the door so she couldn’t get in and just called the cops,” Fincher said. “She was drunk or high – I’m not totally sure – but she wasn’t in her right mind, for sure.”
Police were called to deflate the situation.
Officers found the woman about a block from the store, Shaline said. She was cited and released, meaning she was free to go home and sleep it off.
shane@durangoherald.com
