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Times Square ‘Naked Cowboy’ Arrested at Florida Bike Week Festival

If you’ve ever visited New York City’s Times Square then you have probably seen or at least heard about the Naked Cowboy. The performer rocks out while only rocking undies.

Although he is known as the Naked Cowboy in New York City, Florida is a different story. There he is known by his legal name, Robert Burck. The-50-year-old man was booked into the Volusia County Jail in Daytona Beach during the annual Daytona Beach Bike Week. He was arrested on Saturday on charges of panhandling and resisting arrest.

Who Is The “Naked Cowboy?”

The man is famous for being the Naked Cowboy, due to his, well, nakedness and guitar-playing. He has covered the most important areas of his body, at least wearing briefs, a cowboy hat, and boots, along with a guitar and guitar strap. The guitar is placed strategically to cover just the right spot. Most of the time he represents the US of A with an American-themed, matching, and very small “uniform.”

Burck makes a pretty good chunk of change being a sidewalk performer and panhandling in New York City. However, the laws on panhandling in Daytona Beach are different than those in New York City. The Naked Cowboy is realizing that fact the hard way.

Not Underwear, But Under Arrest

The Daytona Beach police arrest warrant reads that Burck was taking photographs with people who were walking along Main Street and Fern Lane where he was taking money from these bystanders and putting them in his guitar. Authorities state that Burck’s actions are against Daytona Beach city’s ordinance on panhandling.

At the time of his arrest, Burck was reportedly wearing white “underwear, a multi-color straw-hat, causing crowds to form a circle around him while panhandling.”

According to the arrest warrant, The Naked Cowboy also receives a second charge of resisting an officer without violence due to him pulling away from the policeman.

“I don’t need money, I’m already successful,” Burck says as body cams are filming. “I will never take their money again, I promise you.”

Burck’s guitar receives damage during the arrest. Police released photos of the broken guitar. In the report, it appears to be filled with money. Burck requested for the guitar to be given to his girlfriend.

“You broke my [expletive] guitar,” Burck tells a police officer on body cam.

A video is taken of Burck’s arrest posted on YouTube. A small gathering of people surround the handcuffed Naked Cowboy as he is led to the police car by two officers. You can hear the crowd booing, and one person can be heard shouting, “Free the Cowboy!”