Notorious ‘Piggyback Bandit’ accused of assaulting teen and leaving ‘alarming’ note

The “Piggyback Bandit” has been arrested again, this time accused of assaulting a teenage boy Friday at an airport in Newark, N.J.

Port Authority police say Sherwin Shayegan, 34, touched the 14-year-old at a luggage carousel in Newark Liberty International Airport around 3:10 p.m. and gave him a note that stated, “This is money for letting me give you a massage. Thank you.”

Authorities say the note also included “alarming content” but didn’t provide further details.

Investigators tracked the Bothell, Wash., man to a hotel near the airport. They say he had “disturbing notes” and money in envelopes with the names of U.S. airports written on them.

It wasn’t known Saturday whether Shayegan has retained an attorney.

Shayegan became known as the “Piggyback Bandit” because of his notorious habit of showing up at high school sporting events around the country in search for athletes who’d give him a piggyback ride, according to a Newsweek report. He was spotted at basketball, hockey, soccer and football games.

Shayegan would ask for piggybacks, attempt to pay for piggybacks or jump onto the back of an unsuspecting teenager after ingratiating himself to the team. He weighs about 240 pounds.

Shayegan’s mother told a reporter Shayegan has Asperger’s syndrome. One of his high school classmates told the reporter he was involved in high school sports, managing soccer and football teams.

Shayegan was in the news in Spokane in December when The Spokesman-Review reported that he had been spotted at two high schools, including giving a boy a back rub.

In February 2015, Shayegan was convicted of assault and battery after an incident at a high school hockey game in Virginia, according to the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. He was supposed to serve two months of a 12-month sentence, followed by a mental health evaluation.

This story was originally published January 1, 2018 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Notorious ‘Piggyback Bandit’ accused of assaulting teen and leaving ‘alarming’ note."