NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A man who limped into a Louisiana bank with a cane and sprinted out seconds later with cash in hand is wanted by police.
Surveillance video from a Fidelity Bank branch in Slidell, just outside New Orleans, captured the bizarre ruse.
In the video, the man hobbles through the doors wearing a neck brace and clutching a short cane before sliding a note to the teller.
Moments later, he stuffs a stack of cash into his fanny pack, then suddenly ditches the limp and bolts out the door.
MYSTERY MAN IN DAPPER SUIT GOES VIRAL AFTER APPEARING IN LOUVRE HEIST INVESTIGATION PHOTO
The robbery happened shortly before 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, police said. According to the Slidell Police Department, the suspect demanded money while shouting that it was a robbery before fleeing on foot, this time without any sign of injury.
“The suspect entered the bank appearing to be handicapped, walking with a fake limp, a cane, and a neck brace,” police said in a Facebook post. “He then fled the scene, without a limp, with an undisclosed amount of cash.”
A spokesperson for the Slidell Police Department told Fox News Digital the man’s appearance immediately raised suspicions among bank employees.
THIEVES DISGUISED AS CONSTRUCTION WORKERS STEAL $3.2M IN VALUABLES FROM NYC HOME IN BROAD DAYLIGHT
“He walked in as a red flag, just out of pure appearance,” the spokesperson said. “Everything he was dressed in, from the hat to the neck brace, to the cane, to the multiple layers of clothing, to the face mask. As an employee of a financial institution, somebody comes in where you can barely make out their identity — that’s a red flag.”
Before staff could process what was happening, the robbery was underway.
“They were taken back, they were shook up. Thankfully, it went the way it did, he didn’t cause any harm to anybody,” the spokesperson said.
BLUE CITY POLICE BLASTED FOR ‘EMBARRASSING’ TIPS TO ROBBERY VICTIMS AS CRIME SPIKES, VETERAN OFFICER SAYS
Police said the suspect sat inside for several minutes, waiting for customers to leave before making his move.
“He went in there and sat around for a couple of minutes because there were other patrons of the bank present,” the spokesperson said. “Once he was alone with the tellers, he slid a note. The victim didn’t even get a chance to read it before he started screaming, ‘This is a robbery!’ — just like something you’d see in a movie.”
The suspect grabbed the money, snatched back the note and ran.
‘BURBERRY BANDIT’ WITH DOZENS OF PRIOR ARRESTS WALKS FREE AFTER LATEST BLUE CITY CRIME SPREE: REPORT
The spokesperson said that while bank robberies are increasingly rare, this one stood out because of the suspect’s elaborate deception.
“We’ve dealt with bank robberies since the beginning of time,” the spokesperson said. “It’s not too common anymore just because of technology, but every now and then you get some bold person who thinks they can pull off a heist. The pure elaborate game plan that he went in there with — acting like he was crippled, going to that extent, and then just taking the money and running away, literally no injury — was something else.”
The video ends with the man sprinting through the parking lot, disappearing from sight and the limp completely gone.
ELDERLY JEWELRY STORE OWNER HOSPITALIZED AFTER SMASH-AND-GRAB ROBBERY LEAVES SAN JOSE SHOP DESTROYED
Officers and K-9 units searched nearby neighborhoods, but investigators believe the man may have escaped the area in a vehicle.
The suspect is described as a Black male wearing a gray tracksuit, bucket hat, neck brace, clear fanny pack and a face mask.
Police are urging anyone who recognizes the man, or who may have captured him on home security cameras along Choctaw Drive, to contact the Slidell Police Department at 985-643-3131.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Officials said the suspect remains on the loose as investigators analyze new leads.
“We’re fishing through all the evidence,” the spokesperson said, “but I’ve been told we’ve finally got our hands on something potentially promising.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
