NEW YORK An opportunist thief who managed to carry an 86lb (36kg) bucket of gold flakes worth $1.6m (£1.2m) off a truck in New York is being hunted by police. Police said the gold flakes were in an unmarked, sealed black aluminium metal bucket.
Surveillance video showed the theft took place in just 20 seconds while the armoured truck was briefly unattended. The suspect appeared to be loitering near the truck in busy Midtown Manhattan on 29 September 2016 when one of the guards left the armored truck to make a delivery. The truck was left unattended in front of 48 West 48th St. between 5th and 6th avenues. A second guard stepped away to retrieve his mobile phone from the front seat of the truck. It was at this point when the thief seized the moment and made off with the bucket down West 48th Street.
The video footage further showed the man struggle to carry the container holding the gold flakes as he made his escape through the crowded streets of Manhattan, pausing to catch his breath from the weight of the gold, before he disappeared. The video surveillance showed the thief took an hour to haul the bucket on what would usually be a ten minute walk.
New York Police Department Detective Martin Pastor said, “I think he just saw an opportunity, took the pail of gold flakes and walked off.” Detective Pastor further added he believed the man had no idea what the bucket contained.
Police said they believed the man is hiding out in Florida’s Orlando or Miami area, but he still remains at large. They described the suspect as a Hispanic male, about 5ft 6in tall, 150lb and between 50 and 60 years old.
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