Hiding in Plain Sight: Alleged Thief Poses as Mannequin Until Mall Closing Time
It sounds like the plot of a low-budget comedy movie, but police in Poland weren’t laughing.
An unidentified man was arrested in Warsaw on theft and burglary charges after reportedly posing as a mannequin in a store window until all the shoppers had left, then going on a burglary spree.
“The 22-year-old was pictured standing still and holding a bag in a window of the store,” the BBC reported.
“Police said the accused went ‘hunting’ in various departments after closing, before settling on a [jewelry] stand.”
Police in the Śródmieście district of Warsaw reported in a news release that it apparently wasn’t an isolated incident.
“Another day, after the shopping center closed, he ate his fill in one of the bars and then exchanged his clothes for new ones, slipping into the store under a steel curtain,” the officials reported.
“When he got hungry again, he returned to the bar for another meal.”
He is suspected of stealing other items in additional incidents, including money from cash registers.
“However, his luck finally ran out on him as he was spotted and captured by security personnel who called the police,” the news release said.
News outlets couldn’t help having a bit of fun with their headlines. U.K.’s Daily Mail labeled their version, “What a dummy!”
What a dummy! ‘Thief’ poses as mannequin before ‘robbing store’ https://t.co/5BC2aD8MGV pic.twitter.com/ymSNLYxYFi
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) October 20, 2023
Readers joined in with jokes and observations of their own on social media. One remarked, “Wow! The thing happened in an episode of the Three Stooges.”
Wow! The thing happened in an episode of the Three Stooges.
— Chrissy’s Pop Culture Corner (@realpopchrissy) October 20, 2023
Another, responding to Not the Bee’s Facebook post about the incident, observed, “He could have just moved to San Francisco and shoplifted freely during the day.”
The future now looks grim for the suspect, as he could be facing up to 10 years in prison.
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