Myrtle Beach woman strips of clothing claims to be mermaid. Police arrest her

A Myrtle Beach woman who called herself a mermaid was arrested Friday after she allegedly allowed a child to fall out of a kayak into the water.

Sasha Rodriguez, 29, swam and kayaked back and forth in a pond near her apartment complex with a child, according to an incident report.

She was charged by Horry County Police with unlawful conduct toward a child.

Horry County Police officers were performing a welfare check at a Myrtle Beach apartment complex after receiving complaints from Rodriguez’s neighbors about her erratic behavior, the incident report continued.

Officers made contact with one of Rodriguez’s neighbors who said Rodriguez was paddling in a kayak with a child before they fell in the water and then she swam to shore, holding the child, incident report added.

Neighbors told the responding officer that the child’s clothes were wet and he said he was hungry.

While explaining why she and the child were in the kayak, Rodriguez showed the officer the child who was sitting in her locked car. She did not have the keys with her, according to the report.

Rodriguez then stripped off her clothes and claimed she was a mermaid, the report concluded.

Horry County police took Rodriguez to to J. Reuben Long Detention Center. She was released after posting a $2,500 bond.

This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 11:15 AM.