The trash wasn't out on the sidewalk. It was next to the house where I keep the trash cans in between my house and my neighbor's house. (We both keep our trash there).

They had to be looking for trash cans down between houses in order to see it, especially at night. The trash cans are always covered, and the covers are attached to our fence so they don't blow away or go missing. It's very peculiar, this middle of the night trash fine.