Cape Coral police said officers found the suspect near a neighboring Aldi after receiving a report of a nude man inside the store.
CAPE CORAL, FL — A 43-year-old Cape Coral man was arrested Monday after police said he stripped naked inside a HomeGoods store and exposed himself to a shopper before leaving the business and walking toward a nearby Aldi.
Cape Coral police identified the man as Billy Thomas. Officers were called to the HomeGoods on Del Prado Boulevard South at about 10:45 a.m. Sept. 7 after receiving reports that a fully nude man was inside the store. Thomas was later arrested on an indecent exposure charge, according to police and arrest information.
Police said officers arrived at HomeGoods and were told the man had walked toward the nearby Aldi and might have entered that store. Officers went in that direction and found Thomas standing near the Aldi entrance, where they detained him.
As officers walked Thomas back toward a patrol vehicle, police said they noticed a pair of white shoes and underwear near the entrance to HomeGoods. Thomas told officers the items belonged to him, according to the Cape Coral Police Department.
Police said Thomas also told officers that his clothing had started smoking and that a bicycle he had been riding was smoking as well. Officers did not locate a bicycle, according to the department. Authorities did not provide additional information explaining his statements.
A woman who had been shopping inside HomeGoods told officers that Thomas entered the store and walked into the aisle where she was standing. According to police, she said Thomas apologized and told her he had to do what followed before lowering his pants and exposing himself.
A HomeGoods employee also told officers that Thomas had been naked inside the store, police said. The available report did not indicate that anyone was physically injured during the incident or that police filed additional charges connected to what happened inside the business.
Arrest information lists Thomas as having been taken into custody by the Cape Coral Police Department at 12:49 p.m. Sept. 7 on a charge described as indecent exposure involving exposure of sexual organs. An arrest and criminal charge are allegations, and Thomas has not been convicted in connection with the HomeGoods incident.
The available reports did not specify a bond amount, a scheduled court appearance or whether Thomas had obtained an attorney who could comment on the allegation. Police had announced no additional charges in the reported incident as of the latest available information.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.