A 22-year-old man was arrested in Warsaw after posing as a mannequin to evade security cameras at a shopping mall, police said in a statement on Wednesday. Authorities did not say when the arrest was made or what happened.
The unnamed suspect waited until the mall closed to steal from a jewellery stand, police said. The suspect remained motionless until he believed it was safe, then proceeded to walk through various departments in the mall, according to the statement.
Authorities released an image of the man standing still in front of a store window while holding a bag.
The 22-year-old is also accused of stealing food from a bar and designer clothes from the mall on separate days. He was caught on camera sneaking under the partially open shutter of a designer clothing store.
Security guards eventually spotted the man, leading to his capture and arrest by Warsaw police.
He has been charged with theft and burglary and could face up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities said the man had previously committed thefts at another shopping centre, where he waited after closing time to take money from tills.
This isn’t the first time someone has disguised themselves as a mannequin to steal from a store.
In 2016, two thieves in West Sussex, England, blended in with store mannequins and waited until the store had closed before stealing £10,000 worth of designer clothes, or about $12,000 at today’s exchange rate, the Sun reported.
And in 2012, Rome police arrested a trio of men who tried to pose as mannequins in a designer clothing store after the break-in was heard and reported by a neighbour, according to the Guardian.
Warsaw police did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment, which was sent out of office hours.
