Thieves hassling "The Hoff" at Cumberland Farms

NORTH BRANFORD, Conn. (WTNH) -- Folks across the country have been ripping off a convenience store chain, but they're not after money, they're after "The Hoff." The David Hasselhoff iced coffee ads are being stolen from Cumberland Farms stores almost as fast as they're put up.

Feathered hair, tan skin, and a confident smile. Does that make you thirsty?

"This guy is like big, I said, 'I want to go out there and rough him up,'" said Joel Stinson, of North Branford.

Customers are discovering things have been a bit rough.

"Just now they told me inside," said Jameson Korab, of Wallingford.

More than 500 of the Cumberland Farms promotional cutouts for iced coffee have been stolen throughout New England. And the man, the icon, the legend, is now a target.

"He was gone," said Stinson. "He wasn't there, he was there the day before and the night before."

While theft can be common at a convenience store, a crime spree of "Baywatch" proportions is pretty weird.

"Is this something you want in your home? Above your fireplace," asked News 8's Jamie Muro.

"Not really," said Korab, "he's funny looking!"

Some convenience store workers told News 8 they are getting notification of the thefts from corporate headquarters, if one was stolen, they've mailed another one to the store.

The promotion runs through August.

"It's still crime, you know what I mean," said Stinson, "but I kind of got a kick out of it that it wasn't there. I was like, oh man, someone is stealing Hasselhoff, you know?"

Let's face it, we all have our weaknesses. And perhaps the hair, the smile, and the confident swagger is as delicious, and apparently as addicting, as a strong cup of iced coffee.

"I'm still getting the coffee every morning, but it has nothing to do with him though," Stinson said.

"I was about to say, are you getting coffee because of this sign," Muro said.

"No, no, I'm getting it because it's 99 cents, you can't beat it," said Stinson.