Police are working to sniff out the serial pooper who has been targeting these South Arlington playground in Virginia. Screenshot: WFTX-TV

SOUTH ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Parents in a Virginia town are complaining of a "serial pooper" who has defiled a public park's playground equipment with defecation on multiple occasions.

The South Arlington parents said human feces have been found on the Ft. Barnard Park playground at least 4-5 times this year, with two of the occasions occurring during the past two weeks.


"I have three kids, one is a cancer survivor, and if you run into something like that and put your hands in it, oh my gosh gross," parent Andy Delafield told WJLA-TV.

Parents said Arlington Parks and Recreation officials have come to clean up the messes, but they sometimes leave some behind.

"They poop around the play equipment, not off to the side or in the bushes, and cover the feces with a shirt so that some unsuspecting child or parent can pick it up and get a fecal surprise. Parks & Rec comes to scoop it up and leaves smears; this morning it was tracked all over the playground by what I can only assume is a small child," a parent told ARLnow.com Friday.

Arlington Parks and Recreation officials said the playground has been disinfected after the discovery of each excrement, which are believed to have been dropped under cover of night.

Parks and Recreation spokeswoman Susan Kalish said officials would look into the allegations of an incomplete clean-up Friday.

"If it is placed on natural surfaces, such as grass or mulch we just pick it up. If it is placed on hard surfaces we pick it up as well as use a disinfectant in the area. Staff was not aware of additional issues after its recent clean up... [they are] going to the [park] to see what additional clean up is needed," she said.

Meghan Collins, mother of a 2-year-old son, said she discovered one of the poo piles.

"It was inside the little stall over there," Collins said. "Nobody would want your kids to have to deal with that on a playground."

Arlington County Police said they are stepping up patrols in the park in the hopes of halting the serial pooper, who could be charges with misdemeanor urinating and defecating in public.