One would never guess what was in the pockets of an Andalusia man arrested after allegedly burglarizing a local tanning salon and adult novelty shop.

Chief Deputy David Anderson of the Covington County Sheriff’s Office said deputies, Sgt. Lamar Stokes and Vernon Cowart, responded to an alarm call at the Body Exchange on Babbie Road around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

When they arrived, they found Joseph M. Strickland, 23, inside, Anderson said.

“Mr. Strickland was taken into custody without incident and in his possession, had tools that he used to open the door/window of the business to gain entry,” Anderson said. “He also had items taken from inside the store.”

Kim Barber, storeowner, found Strickland in the building’s “toy room,” she said.

“He was hiding behind a huge box of a sex swing, and all I could see was his pants leg,” Barber said. “I turned around quietly and told the officers, ‘He’s in there.’”

She said Strickland was immediately arrested, and the pocketfuls of merchandise recovered.

“Would you believe he had stuff you could buy in a convenience store?” she said. “He had tobacco pipes, some cigarette rolling papers, some energy shots and energy bars.

“You would’ve thought, that in this place, he’d had found more interesting stuff to stick in his pockets than that.”

Strickland is charged with burglary III, possession of burglary tools, theft of property III and criminal mischief III. He was booked into the Covington County Jail and held on a $35,000 bond.